2026-03-27 国立極地研究所
（左）アデリーペンギン、（中央）Clio pyramidata（フランス国立科学研究センター Dr. Laurent Chauvaud提供）、（右）アデリーペンギンに装着したビデオカメラで撮影された、有殻翼足類（Clio pyramidata）を捕える瞬間のキャプチャ写真。
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.nipr.ac.jp/info2025/20260327.html
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-026-04827-4
翼足類を捕食する様子を捉えた映像は、アデリーペンギンの食性の幅広さを浮き彫りにしている Video evidence of pteropod predation highlights diet flexibility in Adélie penguins
Hina T. Watanabe,Akiko Kato,Léo Marcouillier,Thierry Raclot,Frédéric Angelier,Yan Ropert-Coudert & Akinori Takahashi
Marine Biology Published:16 March 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-026-04827-4
Abstract
Understanding how climate-driven changes in the Southern Ocean may alter predator–prey interactions is essential, for evaluating ecosystem-level consequences, yet many trophic relationships remain poorly documented. Shelled pteropods (Thecosomata) are key components of Southern Ocean zooplankton but are highly vulnerable to ocean acidification, and their role as prey for higher predators has rarely been confirmed. Here, we present the first direct video evidence of pteropod predation by chick-rearing Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) near Dumont d’Urville Station, East Antarctica. Seven of eight video-instrumented birds consumed pteropods (N = 1,449 captures), predominantly Clio pyramidata, with two individuals relying heavily on them (> 60% of prey). Other prey included krill, fish, and occasionally amphipods. Pteropods were encountered over a wide range of distances from the colony (0.8–47 km), whereas encounters with krill and fish occurred mainly far from the colony (24–50 km and 20–52 km, respectively). Pteropod encounters occurred over a broad depth range (1–82 m), with C. pyramidata most frequently captured at 35–45 m. Although average feeding rates in pteropod-dominated dives were lower than those in krill-dominated dives (6.4 ± 1.4 captures min⁻1 and 9.5 ± 8.3 captures min⁻1, respectively), the maximum number of pteropod captures in a dive was high (81 captures), indicating substantial number of prey captures when dense pteropod patches were encountered. Our findings reveal that pteropods can serve as an opportunistic yet substantial prey for Adélie penguins, highlighting an overlooked but potentially significant trophic pathway.
