Some Aspects of Diet and Foraging Behavior of Octopus dofleini Wülker, 1910 in its Northernmost Range

Abstract

Abstract. Diet and foraging behavior of Octopus dofleini in Prince William Sound and Port Graham, Alaska, were studied from collections of den litter, measurements of octopuses and estimates of live prey abundance. Based on 193 den collections from depths of ‐ 31 to + 1.3 m, a diet of hard‐bodied prey could be identified. The five most common litter species made up 80% of the litter remains, with nearly 30 species of various taxa malung up the rest. The proportions of major hard‐bodied prey species in each litter pile significantly differed with depth of den, associated substrata, presence of cobble and geographical location but not with the presence of boulders or outcrop, the density of kelp or season of litter collection. Octopus weight was not significantly correlated with the size of prey remains although O. dofleini may take a wide range of prey sizes once it reaches 2.5 kg. O. dofleini was more likely to be found at sites with crabs, although no litter species was significantly preferred over its estimated abundance, and one species was significantly avoided. These results suggest that O. dofleini includes suitable bivalve and crab species in its diet in relation to live abundance, while at the same time exercising an element of selectivity, as some species were actively avoided. Comparison of litter remains from the northern‐most range of O. dofleini with those published for British Columbia show that diet breadth was similar, but the identity of major hard‐bodied prey species was very different for Alaskan octopuses.