scholarly journals Overlap and temporal variation in the diets of sympatric Antarctic and Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus spp.) at Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 1451142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan R. Reisinger ◽  
Marietjie Landman ◽  
Nonkoliso Mgibantaka ◽  
Malcolm J. Smale ◽  
Marthán N. Bester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Prince Edward Islands ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals

scholarly journals Multi-state mark-recapture models as a novel approach to estimate factors affecting attendance patterns of lactating subantarctic fur seals from Marion Island

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wege ◽  
M. Nevoux ◽  
P.J.N. de Bruyn ◽  
M.N. Bester
Keyword(s):  
Capture Probability ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Attendance Patterns ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Winter Foraging ◽  
Ecological Parameters ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals

AbstractObserver-based studies often underestimate key ecological parameters. Here a fresh approach was used to analyse six years (2006–11) of attendance cycles to estimate foraging trip lengths of a lactating flipper-tagged otariid: subantarctic fur seals at Marion Island. Multi-state mark-recapture models were used to calculate detection failures of females, correct estimates accordingly, and investigate the effects of year, season, pup sex and the presence of a telemetry device on attendance cycle parameters. There were no differences between corrected and uncorrected attendance data. This is attributed to the high capture probability across all seasons (range: 83–98%). This illustrates that observer-based studies are useful to augment telemetry studies. Only season and pup sex had a significant impact on female provisioning rates. In winter, foraging trip durations were longer (t-value=25.22,P<0.0001) and attendance durations shorter (t-value=-2.15,P=0.01) than during summer. Females with female pups spent a higher proportion of their time on land (χ2=6.6,P<0.05). Male pups have higher growth demands and are larger which suggests they can deplete female milk-stores faster.

Attendance behaviour of Antarctic and subantarctic fur seal females at Marion Island

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marthán N. Bester ◽  
Peter A. Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Arctocephalus Gazella ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
Fur Seal ◽  
Lactating Females ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Temperate Environment ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Antarctic Fur Seals ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals

The female attendance behaviour of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) and subantarctic fur seals (A.tropicalis), which breed sympatrically on subantarctic Marion Island, was investigated. Over the same period after the breeding season, the mean duration of feeding trips to sea, and percentage of time spent at sea, did not differ significantly between lactating females of the two species. The difference in mean duration of shore visits was significant and the longer onshore attendance of A. tropicalis probably related to the lower demand by their pups which grow at a slower rate. The subpolar maternal adaptations of A. gazella were unchanged under the more temperate environment at Marion Island, and it remains to be established unequivocally whether conditions there are limiting to the species.

Vagrant Subantarctic fur seals at Bouvetøya

2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. G. Hofmeyr ◽  
M. N. Bester ◽  
S. P. Kirkman
Keyword(s):  
Fur Seals ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals

Age structure, growth, and demographic parameters in breeding-age female subantarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus tropicalis

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 1043-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willy Dabin ◽  
Gwénaël Beauplet ◽  
Enrique A Crespo ◽  
Christophe Guinet
Keyword(s):  
Age Distribution ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Demographic Parameters ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Female Population ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals ◽  
Arctocephalus Tropicalis

Age distribution was estimated for 108 breeding-age female subantarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus tropicalis (Gray, 1872), sampled during the 1999–2000 breeding season on Amsterdam Island, southern Indian Ocean. The growth features were described and demographic parameters assessed from transversal life tables constructed for this female population. The breeding females had a longer mean body length than was observed for other breeding populations of the same species. These females also showed a later start to reproduction (6 years old), a lower overall age-specific reproductive rate (R6–16 = 48.0%), and a lower survival in older age classes (>13 years). Females reproduced up to a maximum age of 16 years, with none older than 19 years observed in the colony, suggesting an apparent senescence in the population. This consequently reduced the theoretical reproductive period of the females, which has led to a lower number of reproductive outputs per individual (i.e., 3.65 weaned pups per female throughout its reproductive life). Although such differences between islands may be related to genotypic traits, these results are consistent with low food availability and suggest that density-dependent regulatory processes operate on the Amsterdam Island population.

The composition of the milk of antarctic (Arctocephalus gazella) and subantarctic (A. tropicalis) fur seals at Macquarie Island

1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon D. Goldsworthy ◽  
Helen M. Crowley
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Arctocephalus Gazella ◽  
Macquarie Island ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
Fur Seal ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals

The composition of milk collected from 36 antarctic (Arctocephalus gazella) and 17 subantarctic fur seals (A. tropicalis) breeding sympatrically at Macquarie Island was examined over the first 100 days of lactation in the 1990/91 season. The mean composition of milk in A. gazella and A. tropicalis was 41.3% and 44.6% water, 39.8% and 38.6% lipid, 18.1% and 16.1% protein, and the estimated gross energy content of milk was 19.9 and 18.9 kJ g–1, respectively. Neither the composition of milk nor its energy density differed significantly between species, despite a difference of 4–6 months in lactation length. Water content of milk could be used to predict lipid (r2 = 0.67) and protein (r2 = 0.57) content, but was most accurate at predicting gross energy content (r2 = 0.97). These relationships were the same for each species. The water content of milk decreased throughout the first 100 days of lactation in both species, while lipid, protein and energy content all increased. The addition of maternal mass into regression analysis with days post-partum increased the significance of models predicting the content of lipid and proteins in the milk, but not those predicting the water or gross energy content. Milk collected on the first day of 2-day attendance bouts had, on average, 9% greater lipid content, and 5% greater protein content than milk collected on the second day. The growth rates of subantarctic fur seal pups were significantly lower than those of antarctic fur seal pups over the first month of growth, suggesting that (despite similar milk composition, attendance patterns and diet of the two species of fur seal) the overall rates of energy transfer from mother to pup in subantarctic fur seals is lower than in antarctic fur seals.

Records of vagrant fur seals (family Otariidae) in South Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. Shaughnessy ◽  
Catherine M. Kemper ◽  
David Stemmer ◽  
Jane McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
South Australia ◽  
The South ◽  
South Indian Ocean ◽  
Fur Seals ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Fur Seal ◽  
New Zealand Fur Seal ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Subantarctic Fur Seals

Two fur seal species breed on the southern coast of Australia: the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) and the New Zealand fur seal (A. forsteri). Two other species are vagrants: the subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis) and the Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella). We document records of vagrant fur seals in South Australia from 1982 to 2012 based primarily on records from the South Australian Museum. There were 86 subantarctic fur seals: 49 specimens and 37 sightings. Most (77%) were recorded from July to October and 83% of all records were juveniles. All but two specimens were collected between July and November. Sightings were prevalent during the same period, but there were also nine sightings during summer (December–February), several of healthy-looking adults. Notable concentrations were near Victor Harbor, on Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsula. Likely sources of subantarctic fur seals seen in South Australia are Macquarie and Amsterdam Islands in the South Indian Ocean, ~2700 km south-east and 5200 km west of SA, respectively. There were two sightings of Antarctic fur seals, both of adults, on Kangaroo Island at New Zealand fur seal breeding colonies. Records of this species for continental Australia and nearby islands are infrequent.

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