THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 119 



Figure 64. — Food taken from a sea otter stomach: A — fragment of octopus 

 jaws; B — small pebbles; C — octopus tentacles and mantle; D — ascarid 

 worms (probably Terranova decipiens) ; E — fins, skin, and opercular spines 

 of the red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) . The sea otter's 

 teeth are not adapted to cutting; the tough octopus flesh is swallowed in 

 chunks that show little effect of chewing. (The pencil is 12 cm. long.) 

 (KWK 1013) 



A captive otter was fed 5 lb. (2.3 kg.) of squid (Loligo) daily. 

 Before beginning to eat each squid he removed the pen by grasping 

 its tip between his incisors and drawing it from the mantle. He 

 then discarded it over his left shoulder by turning his head quickly 

 to the side. 



Starfish of several species are of minor value as a sea otter food. 

 Although a number of stomachs (111) contained starfish remains, 

 the volume was small. I have seldom observed a feeding otter that 

 ate an entire starfish. The otter usually tears off and eats one or 

 two arms of a starfish, then loses interest and discards the re- 

 mainder. 



Fecal and stomach examinations indicate that the green sea 

 urchin (Strongylocentrotus drohachiensis) is frequently eaten and 

 this food has been considered the most important, if not essential, 

 item in the diet of the sea otter. With captive sea otters, Shid- 

 lovskaya (1947) stated that ''Longer interruptions than 5 days in 



