Evidence of eastern rockhopper penguin feeding on a key commercial arrow squid species

Research reveals that eastern rockhopper penguins around Campbell Island, New Zealand, have incorporated the commercially valuable arrow squid Nototodarus sloanii into their diet for the first time during the 2012–13 breeding season. Stable isotope analysis of cephalopods in penguin diets showed ecological stability for Moroteuthopsis ingens, while shifts were observed in Octopus campbelli, possibly due to warmer oceanic temperatures. This suggests potential changes in cephalopod biodiversity in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, underscoring the need for further study on this region's ecological dynamics.

Guímaro, H. R., Thompson, D. R., Morrison, K. W., Fragão, J., Matias, R. S., & Xavier, J. C. (2025). Evidence of eastern rockhopper penguin feeding on a key commercial arrow squid species. Polar Biology, 48(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-025-03358-w