Stomach contents of bycaught minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in Korean waters

We investigated the stomach contents of 54 minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from bycatch in Korean waters from 2000 to 2008 to examine their diet and feeding habits. Body length of the whales ranged from 3.9 to 8.5 m with a mean of 5.45 m (SD =1.07 m). A total of 10 prey species (3 crustacean, 5 fish and 2 cephalopod) were identified from the whale stomachs. We used the Combined Rank Index (CRI) to estimate the relative importance of prey species. Euphausia pacifica was the most important prey species in this sample, occurring in 70.4% (n=38) of the stomachs. Pacific anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) was the second most important prey species, occurring in 11.1% (n=6) of the stomachs. Most minke whale stomachs contained a single prey species (74.5%). Euphausiids were found in the majority of the stomachs of all whale length-classes and they also were the dominant prey species in most seasons except for autumn. This information can be useful for the understanding of the trophic role of minke whales in this area.