NICHE OVERLAP OF SPHENISCIDAE ON ELEPHANT ISLAND, ANTARCTICA

Stomach content samples were collected from Gentoo Penguin and Chinstrap Penguin in order to analyze the diet and the niche overlap on Elephant Island, Antarctica. A total of 56 Gentoo Penguin samples and 71 Chinstrap Penguin samples were collected, during the two austral breeding seasons, 2010/11 and 2011/12, on the Stinker Point region. E. superba was the most abundant prey, (69% FO and 98% FO) for Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin, respectively. Nine species of fish and one species of cephalopod, were identified by specific level. We observed a niche overlap of species, by the use of the same food resources, since these species occurs sympatrically in the same region. This study also demonstrated that the specific variation of trophic niches occupied by the species may be defined by the foraging behavior and by the selection of the food resources.