Stomach content of a female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) off the Canary Islands

Abstract

The stomach content of a female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), found in April 1996, after crashing with a ferry, is reported. This stomach content was composed only by cephalopods. These ones were indentified to the lowest taxonomic level possible using the lower beak, muscles and other hard remains, attempting to report knowledge about the diet of this sperm whale. Thus, this is the first contribution to Canary Islands inhabiting sperm whale’s diet. The beaks of the cephalopod identified gave the following results: The family Histioteuthidae was predominant in number (78%) and biomass in the diet, in agreement with the fact of being one of the most common middle-sized cephalopods in Canary Islands waters. The 22% remained beaks belonged to different species of Cranchiidae (12%), Octopotheutidae (3%), Lepidotheutidae (4%), Ommastrephidae (1,5%), Pholydotheutidae (1,5%), Architheutidae (1%) and Alloposidae (1%) families. The diversity of cephalopod species identified together with the available data of depth and geographical distribution enabled the reconstruction of feeding behaviour of this sperm whale during its last days of life.