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Squid and octopods are highly represented in the diet of a wide range of sub-Antarctic and Antarctic predators, including ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, as well as penguins, seals and whales.  This guide by Drs José Xavier and Yves Cherel, first published in 2009, allows the identification of squid and octopods beaks recovered in regurgitations and is now available for free down-loading on-line in an updated version.

The guide includes 3-D computer images in colour of both upper and lower beaks, making it an extremely useful tool to marine ecologists dealing with trophic interactions in the Southern Ocean.

Reference:

Xavier, J.C. & Cherel, Y. 2009.  Cephalopod Beak Guide for the Southern Ocean.  Cambridge: British Antarctic Survey.  129 pp.  ISBN 978-0-85665-146-5.  Updated on-line in November 2010.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 May 2011