Abstract
Architeuthis dux diet has been analysed according to information available from literature and from the analysis of gut contents of five females and two males from Mediterranean and Atlantic Iberian waters (20 specimens in total). This is the first time that A. dux diet from Atlantic and Mediterranean waters is described. Body weight of specimens ranged from 22.5 to 200 kg. In order to infer common patterns in giant squid diet according to its geographic distribution range, size and sex, available data on their diet composition structure were joined and examined with multivariate techniques. No significant differences in the trophic level on which A. dux prey on were found, considering size, sex and location. Thus, A. dux seems to play the same role in the trophic webs throughout the distribution range examined in this paper, which takes up a very wide geographic area. The trophic level estimated from the diet composition is 4.7. Obtained results show that this species preys mainly on pelagic fast swimmers and shoaling fishes and cephalopods as an opportunistic ambushing hunter.
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