Trophic ecology of the deep-sea squid <i>Moroteuthopsis ingens</i> (Cephalopoda: Onychoteuthidae) from the Chatham Rise, Aotearoa New Zealand

Cephalopods form important components of marine trophic systems worldwide, including those in the South Pacific. <i>Moroteuthopsis ingens</i> (Onychoteuthidae) is one of the most abundant deep–sea squids in the Aotearoa New Zealand region and is preyed upon by predators such as the sperm whale and orange roughy. However, despite the many publications on <i>M. ingens</i>’ diet, knowledge on its feeding ecology remains limited. In this study, we analysed the prey of <i>M. ingens</i> from the Chatham Rise (an ecologically and economically important region east of Te Waipounamu/New Zealand’s South Island) using DNA barcoding and otolith identification. Lanternfishes (Myctophidae) were the most frequently encountered prey item, but other teleost species, cephalopods and crustacean fragments were also found, indicating opportunistic and likely cannibalistic feeding behaviour. Five fish species (including a possibly undescribed species of <i>Gymnoscopelus</i>) and <i>Bathyteuthis abyssicola</i> are reported as prey items of <i>M. ingens</i> for the first time. <i>Moroteuthopsis ingens</i> appears to be a component of several dynamic food chains and likely plays an important role in the transfer of carbon throughout marine environments in the Southern Hemisphere.头足类（Cephalopods）是全球海洋营养级系统的重要组成类群，南太平洋海域亦不例外。巨突滑鱿（*Moroteuthopsis ingens*，爪鱿科Onychoteuthidae）是新西兰奥特亚罗瓦（Aotearoa New Zealand）海域最为丰富的深海鱿类之一，其天敌涵盖抹香鲸与橘棘鲷。尽管已有诸多关于巨突滑鱿食性的研究报道，但学界对其摄食生态的认知仍较为有限。本研究以查塔姆海隆（Chatham Rise，新西兰南岛怀波阿努穆Te Waipounamu以东兼具重要生态与经济价值的海域）的巨突滑鱿为研究对象，采用DNA条形码技术与耳石鉴定法对其猎物组分展开分析。结果显示，灯笼鱼类（Myctophidae）为最常检出的猎物类群，同时研究中也检出了其他硬骨鱼类、头足类及甲壳类残体，表明巨突滑鱿采取机会主义摄食策略，且存在同类相食的可能。本研究首次报道了5种硬骨鱼类（包含1个可能尚未被正式描述的裸灯鱼属*Gymnoscopelus*物种）以及深渊鱿（*Bathyteuthis abyssicola*）作为巨突滑鱿猎物的记录。巨突滑鱿似乎是多条动态食物链的关键组成部分，且可能在南半球海洋环境的碳循环传递过程中发挥重要作用。