Preponderance of mesopelagic fish in the diet of the Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis around the Faroe Islands

The Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis is the most abundant seabird species on the Faroe Islands and is a significant consumer of marine resources. This diet study over the period 1998–2004 showed that fish was their major food source, supplemented with squid (Teuthida), polychaetes (Polychaeta), crustaceans (Crustacea) and scavenged prey. Among the fish, the small, lipid-rich Myctophid Glacier Lanternfish Benthosema glaciale dominated in frequency of occurrence and number of otoliths. Other common fish species were Norway Pout Trisopterus esmarkii, Blue Whiting Micromesistius poutassou, and Gadidae. Myctophic fish mostly occur in deeper water layers, and their high abundance in a surface feeding seabird is remarkable. As B. glaciale is not commercially exploited around the Faroes, competition between fisheries and Northern Fulmars appears limited.