Stomach contents of common dolphin (Deiphinus sp.) from New Zealand waters

Abstract

This paper provides the first report of stomach contents of common dolphin (Deiphinus sp.) from New Zealand waters. We examined 53 stomachs from 42 stranded and 11 by‐caught common dolphin from the North Island of New Zealand between 1997 and 2006. Although the diet of by‐caught and stranded common dolphin comprised a diverse range of fish and cephalopod species, the prevalent prey were arrow squid Nototodarus spp., jack mackerel Trachurus spp., and anchovy Engraulis australis. Stranded dolphins that originated from coastal waters, and dolphins by‐caught within neritic waters, fed on both neritic and oceanic prey. Moreover, this mixed prey composition was evident in the diet of common dolphin by‐caught in oceanic waters, suggesting inshore/offshore movements of common dolphin on a diel basis.