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First published online November 1, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 4524-4532 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02530
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Identifying and quantifying prey consumption using stomach temperature change in pinnipeds

Carey E. Kuhn* and Daniel P. Costa

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Long Marine Laboratory, 100 Shaffer Road, CA 95064, USA


Figure 1
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  		Fig. 1. Characteristic change in stomach temperature as a result of feeding (solid line). Data from a sub-adult male northern elephant seal fed 1.0 kg of herring at 08:12 h (denoted by arrow). Variables used to analyze stomach temperature change are A, initial temperature (°C); B, minimum temperature (°C); C, recovery (min). Area (s °C) was calculated from the broken line to the stomach temperature curve.

 

Figure 2
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  		Fig. 2. Method used to calculate the area above the curve created by the drop in stomach temperature when initial temperature and recovery temperature were not equal. Following published methods (Wilson et al., 1995Go), area was calculated based on the lower temperature (initial or recovery) and added to half the area between the lower and higher temperature [INT=(X/2)+Y]. (A) Recovery temperature was greater than initial temperature. (B) Recovery temperature was lower than initial temperature.

 

Figure 3
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  		Fig. 3. Stomach temperature record for a sub-adult male northern elephant seal fed four meals (0.5 kg, 1.0 kg, 0.5 kg and 3.0 kg, denoted by arrows). First decline in stomach temperature was a result of water ingestion.

 

Figure 4
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  		Fig. 4. Relationship between mass consumed and area above the curve created by the decline in stomach temperature, adjusted for temperature difference between animals' core body temperature and fish ({Delta}T). The regression lines for both species are not significantly different (northern elephant seals: {surd}area/{Delta}T=0.52xquantity+2.9; California sea lions: {surd}area/{Delta}T=0.41xquantity+3.1). Black circles denote mean values for each individual northern elephant seal (N=10), grey circles represent the mean values for individual California sea lions (N=13).

 




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