species of fur seals collected off California during February to 

 April 1952 (Taylor et al. 1955). Jacksmelt was not an impor- 

 tant food of fur seals during the 1958-66 California collections 

 although this species occurred in stomachs of fur seals during 

 January, February, March, and April collections (Table 4). 



The fur seals collected off California were taken before the 

 discovery of the San Miguel Island population (the samples 

 were collected during 1958-66). Thus, the San Miguel Island 

 population, which numbered about 100 animals when dis- 

 covered in 1968, would not have affected our findings or the 

 results of the 1958-66 surveys. The population of seals from 

 the San Miguel-Castle Rock colony (which has grown to about 

 3,000 animals in 1979) may now play an important role as 

 year-round residents in California waters. 



Table 4. — Food of fur seals off California, January-June 1958-66. 









Months 







Food items 



Jan. 1 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May 



June 



Fish: 















Entosphenus tridentatus 



- 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



Squalus acanthias 



- 



- 



- 



X 



- 



- 



Clupeidae 



- 



- 



- 



- 



- 



X 



Alosa sapidissima 



- 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Clupea harengus pallasi 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



- 



Engraulis mordax 



1 



1 



1 



3 



3 



1 



Oncorhynchus spp. 



- 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



Hypomesus pretiosus 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Thaleichthys pacificus 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Tactostoma macropus 



- 



- 



X 



- 



- 



- 



Paralepis atlantica 



- 



X 



X 



- 



X 



- 



Myctophidae 



X 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Tarletonbeania crenularis 



X 



- 



X 



- 



X 



- 



Symbolophorus califomiensis 



X 



- 



- 



- 



- 



- 



Cololabis saira 



X 



3 



3 



X 



X 



X 



Merluccius productus 



2 



2 



2 



1 



1 



2 



Trachipteridae 



- 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Trachipterus altivelis 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



- 



Trachurus symmetricus 



- 



X 



X 



4 



X 



3 



Sciaenidae 



- 



- 



X 



- 



- 



- 



Brama japonica 



- 



X 



- 



- 



- 



- 



Medialuna califomiensis 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



- 



Scomber japonicus 



- 



X 



- 



- 



- 



- 



Se bastes spp. 



X 



X 



X 



- 



2 



X 



Sebasies jordani 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



- 



A noplopoma fimbria 



- 



X 



- 



X 



4 



X 



Atherinopsis califomiensis 



X 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Cilharichthys sp. 



- 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Pleuronectidae 



X 



- 



X 



X 



X 



- 



Lyopsetta exilis 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Porichthys nolatus 



X 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Unidentified 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



Cephalopods: 















Ocythoe tuberculala 



X 



X 



- 



- 



X 



- 



Loligo opalescens 



4 



X 



4 



2 



X 



4 



Onycholeuthis sp. 



3 



4 



X 



X 



- 



- 



Onychoteuthis borealijaponicus 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



Morotheuthis robusta 



- 



- 



X 



- 



X 



- 



A braliopsis sp. 



X 



X 



X 



- 



X 



X 



Gonatidae 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



- 



Conalus sp. 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



Berryteulhis magisler 



- 



- 



- 



- 



X 



X 



Gonatopsis borealis 



X 



- 



- 



- 



X 



X 



Unidentified squid 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



X 



Stomachs with food 



399 



1,006 



558 



268 



265 



81 



Stomachs with trace 



172 



222 



161 



69 



107 



35 



Stomachs without food 



198 



405 



255 



77 



75 



15 



Bering Sea 



The principal prey species utilized by fur seals in the eastern 

 Bering Sea include Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, 

 capelin, Mallotus villosus, walleye pollock, Theragra chalco- 

 gramma, Atka mackerel, Pleurogrammus monopterygius, and 

 oceanic squids of the family Gonatidae — including Gonatus 

 spp., Berryteulhis magisler, and Gonatopsis borealis. Deepsea 

 smelts of the family Bathylagidae, Greenland turbot, Rein- 

 hardtius hippoglossoides, and salmon, Oncorhynchus spp., 

 were represented among the principal forage species during 

 some annual collections but when all years' data were com- 

 bined by month for the Bering Sea their cumulative total vol- 

 umes were not large enough to place them among the principal 

 species. Salmon occurred among the principal forage species 

 food of fur seals in 1960 and deepsea smelts in 1963, 1968, 

 1973, and 1974. 



Oregon 



The collection of fur seals off Oregon were made while the 

 research vessel was enroute between Washington and Califor- 

 nia during 1959, 1961, 1964, and 1965. Although the sample 

 sizes were small, a total of 14 species of fish and 7 species of 

 squids was identified in the stomachs of fur seals. The princi- 

 pal prey species included northern anchovy, Pacific whiting, 

 rockfish, and squids (Table 5). 



Table 5.— Food of fur seals off Oregon, January and March-May 1958-65. 



Months 



Food items 



Jan. 



Mar. 



Apr. May 



Fish: 



Entosphenus tridentatus 



A losa sapidissima 



Clupea harengus pallasi 



Engraulis mordax 



Oncorhynchus spp. 



Scopelosaurus sp. 



Myctophidae 



Tarletonbeania crenularis 



Cololabis saira 



Merluccius productus 



Trachipterus altivelis 



Trachurus symmetricus 



Sebastes spp. 



A noplopoma fimbria 



Lyopsetta exilis 



Unidentified 

 Cephalopods: 



Loligo opalescens 



Onychoteuthis sp. 



Onychoteuthis borealijaponicus 



Abraliopsis sp. 



Gonatidae 



Conalus sp. 



Berryteulhis magisler 



Chiroteuthidae 



Unidentified squid 

 Stomachs with food 

 Stomachs with trace 

 Stomachs without food 



- 



- 



X 



- 



X 



2 



4 



- 



3 



14 



99 



2 







8 



41 







1 



6 



41 



1 



'Numerals indicate the ranking of principal prey species based on percentage of 

 totaJ stomach content volume. 



'Numerals Indicate the ranking of principal prey species based on per- 

 centage of total stomach content volume. 



n 



