Table 2.
Dietary analyses for the captive pinnipeds listed in Table 1, including prey type, sample size (number of whole fish analyzed), prey isotope ratio values (mean ± SD), carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N), and proportion of total diet (%). For C, the bulk and lipid-corrected (LC) δ13C values are shown. Prey species include capelin (Mallotus villosus), Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), and market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens), with individuals grouped by similar diets. Capelin and herring fed to the animals were from different catch lots and are thus listed separately. Diet proportion values for each prey type are given as range for the individuals listed (minimum – maximum).
| Predator and Prey | n | δ13C (‰) | δ13C LC (‰) | δ15N (‰) | C:N | Diet Proportion (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian monk seal | ||||||
| capelin | 3 | −20.7 ± 0.2 | −19.9 ± 0.1 | 11.9 ± 0.5 | 4.1 ± 0.2 | 0.51 – 0.74 |
| Pacific herring | 3 | −23.5 ± 0.8 | −21.0 ± 0.3 | 12.0 ± 0.1 | 5.9 ± 1.1 | 0.26 – 0.49 |
| Northern elephant seal | ||||||
| capelin | 6 | −21.1 ± 0.5 | −20.4 ± 0.3 | 11.9 ± 0.5 | 4.1 ± 0.5 | 0.48 – 0.53 |
| Atlantic herring | 6 | −20.2 ± 1.0 | −19.6 ± 0.7 | 11.5 ± 0.4 | 4.0 ± 0.4 | 0.47 – 0.52 |
| Bearded seal | ||||||
| capelin | 3 | −21.0 ± 0.5 | −20.1 ± 0.1 | 11.8 ± 0.3 | 4.3 ± 0.4 | 0.50 – 0.62 |
| Atlantic herring | 3 | −21.3 ± 0.1 | −18.1 ± 0.1 | 12.6 ± 0.3 | 6.7 ± 0.2 | 0.27 – 0.41 |
| squid | 3 | −18.6 ± 0.1 | −18.3 ± 0.2 | 13.1 ± 0.5 | 3.7 ± 0.2 | 0.09 – 0.11 |
| Ringed seal, spotted seal, harbor seal, California sea lion | ||||||
| capelin | 7 | −21.1 ± 0.4 | −20.3 ± 0.2 | 11.7 ± 0.3 | 4.1 ± 0.4 | 0.34 – 0.81 |
| Atlantic herring | 7 | −20.0 ± 0.6 | −19.5 ± 0.3 | 11.6 ± 0.5 | 3.9 ± 0.5 | 0.00 – 0.66 |
| Pacific herring | 4 | −21.2 ± 0.5 | −18.7 ± 0.4 | 13.1 ± 0.4 | 5.9 ± 0.3 | 0.00 – 0.51 |