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Diet of Octopus vulgaris in False Bay, South Africa

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Abstract

The diet of Octopus vulgaris was analysed using instantaneous daytime observations, midden counts, and stomach contents and a total of 39 prey species were identified. From stomach contents, the most important prey species were Plagusia chabrus (64.6% IRI, index of relative importance) and Haliotis midae (21.6% IRI). Crustaceans were the most frequently found prey group in octopus stomachs (63.6% frequency of occurrence), followed by molluscs (37.6%), teleosts (11.2%), and polychaetes (10.8%). Prey size and diversity increased with increasing octopus size. From middens, the mean shell lengths of H. midae consumed by small, medium, and large O. vulgaris were 53.3, 72.6, and 86.0 mm, respectively. Compared with stomach contents, midden counts were 3 times higher for shelled molluscs, but 5 times lower for crustaceans and soft-bodied organisms. Similarly, instantaneous daytime observations were 3 times higher for shelled molluscs, but 5 times lower for crustaceans and 2 times lower for soft-bodied organisms.

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the former Foundation for Research and Development for funding and to the University of Cape Town for the use of their facilities. A special thanks to the committee of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve for allowing sampling to be conducted at Buffels Bay. Thanks also to Dr. J. Groenevald for his invaluable comments on the manuscript. Lastly, I am deeply indebted to Mr. D. Padiachee and Mrs. L. Smith for their field and lab assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine and Coastal Management, Private Bag X2, 8012, Rogge Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

    C. D. Smith

  2. Marine Biology Research Institute, University of Cape Town, 7701, Rondebosch, South Africa

    C. D. Smith

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  1. C. D. Smith
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Correspondence to C. D. Smith.

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Communicated by G.F. Humphrey, Sydney

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Smith, C.D. Diet of Octopus vulgaris in False Bay, South Africa. Marine Biology 143, 1127–1133 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1144-2

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