Insights into the diet of a poorly known species: pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata from Cape Verde, West Africa

Abstract

Despite having a worldwide distribution in tropical waters, knowledge on pygmy killer whales Feresa attenuata, including diet, is poor, with only a few studies carried out to date. The presence of otoliths and beaks in stomachs that have been examined indicate that the diet of F. attenuata includes squid, octopus and fish. In this study, the stomach contents of two F. attenuata recently stranded in Cape Verde, West Africa, were examined. A variety of fish hard parts and otoliths were recovered, in addition to the upper beak from an unidentified cephalopod and the remains of some marine arthropods. Lanternfish (Myctophidae) and deepbody boarfish Antigonia capros were identified from otoliths and comprised 95.4% of prey items. Whereas the sizes of the myctophids in the two whale stomachs were similar, those of other prey items differed. The findings provide important information on the diet of F. attenuata in the Cape Verde region.