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Digestibility of krill (Euphausia superba and Thysanoessa sp.) in minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus)*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2007

P.-E. Mårtensson ,
E. S. Nordøy  and
A. S. Blix
P.-E. Mårtensson
Affiliation:
Department of Arctic Biology and Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
E. S. Nordøy
Affiliation:
Department of Arctic Biology and Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
A. S. Blix
Affiliation:
Department of Arctic Biology and Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
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Abstract

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Apparent digestible efficiency (% DE) was studied by use of dietary Mn as an inert marker, in minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus) which had been eating krill. Median % DE in minke whales (n 5) eating krill of the genus Thysanoessa sp. (energy density (ED) 23·8 kJ/g) was 93 (range 87–93). Median % DE in crabeater seals (n 6) eating krill of the species Euphausia superba (ED 20·8 kJ/g) was 84 (range 79–85), which is significantly lower than the % DE of krill in minke whales (P = 0·008). Since the chemical composition in E. superba and in Thysanoessa sp. is similar, it is suggested that the complex multi-stomached system of minke whales, which contains both chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14)-producing as well as several other types of bacteria, is superior to the single-stomached system of crabeater seals with regard to krill digestion. It is worth noting, however, that the % DE of krill in the crabeater seal is still very high.

Keywords

Apparent digestibility efficiencyMn inert marker techniqueMinke whaleCrabeater sealKrill
Type
Digestion of krill in whales and seals
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 72 , Issue 5 , November 1994 , pp. 713 - 716
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1994

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