Science Centres: Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity

Squid beaks found in the stomachs of Antarctic toothfish from the Ross Sea.

NIWA is examining the stomach contents of thousands of fish from the Ross Sea and Chatham Rise to help understand feeding relationships in these ecosystems. Correct identification of prey species is vital, but often difficult to discern because key features are digested and unrecognisable.

Cephalopods (squid, octopus, and cuttlefish) are particularly difficult to identify when digestion is advanced, but can often be identified from their beaks. These sharp, horny structures – used to kill and tear up prey – are identified by their shape and surface topography.

NIWA fisheries researcher Darren Stevens visited the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in Cambridge, UK, on a Queen Elizabeth II Technician’s Award to learn how to identify cephalopods from their beaks.

With the help of BAS staff, Darren identified five squid and four octopus species from the stomachs of Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea.