PINNIPEDIA 243 



the best fishing was near the sea-lion rocks. 22 Both the squid and the 

 octopus are known to feed extensively on young fishes, which may 

 account for good fishing where seals and sea-lions are acting as a 

 check upon the cephalopods. Thus it may be possible that the pinnipeds 

 are actually beneficial to the fisheries, instead of harmful, but the idea 

 that they are injurious is so deeply seated in the minds of fishermen 

 that it is very difficult to eradicate it. It must also be remembered that 

 thousands of cormorants, shearwaters, pelicans and other large birds 

 are taking a constant and large toll from the fishes, probably the total 

 amount consumed being much greater than is consumed by all the 

 pinnipeds. 23 



Dice says that the sea-lions of the California coast eat fish, squids, 

 octopuses, mollusks, crustaceans, etc. 24 Smith found a decided difference 

 between the food of the northern or Steller sea-lion (Eiimetopias 

 jubata) and that of the California sea-lion (Zalophus calif ornianus) . 

 He examined eighteen stomachs of the former and twenty-four of the 

 latter, and only thirteen of each contained food. All of the Steller con- 

 tained fish, containing also squid and octopus, the maximum number 

 of squid in any one stomach being six, while the quantity of fish was 

 large, thirty-five pounds in one. Of the California, five had eaten fish, 

 seventeen small fishes being the maximum number in any one stomach ; 

 eleven had eaten squid, the five which contained fish containing squid 

 also, from 100 to 300 each. 25 Several sea-lions were killed "in the 

 Klamath River estuary during the height of the salmon run. . . . The 

 stomachs were found to be filled with lampreys. It is a proven fact 

 that lampreys are detrimental to other fish, killing great quanties of 

 them in some places." 26 



Rowley says that the diet of sea-lions is largely fish at most times, 

 squid when obtainable; that Zalophus in captivity, weighing from 

 100 to 150 pounds, when fed on fish, eats from 12 to 15 pounds daily; 

 while Eiimetopias ; weighing ten times as much, perhaps will eat 150 

 pounds. Of course, eating what is given them in captivity does not 

 indicate what proportions of the different kinds of food they take, 



s Dyche, Notes on the habits of California sea-lions, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 

 xviii, 179-182, 1902. Merriam, Food of sea-lions, Science, xm, 777-779, 1901. Cali- 

 fornia Fish and Game, vni, 135, 1922. 



23 Starks, Notes on the sea-lions, California Fish and Game, vn, 251-253, 1921. 



24 Dice, The sea-lions of California, California Fish and Game, xiv, 1-16, 1928. 



25 Smith, Destructiveness of sea-lions, Kept. U. S. Fish Comm. for 1902, pp. m- 

 119. 



* Bonnot, Sea-lions and fisherman, California Fish and Game, xv, 282, 1929. 



