Arctocephalus australis diet, assessed from scat analyses, varied as a result of changes in availability of anchoveta Engraulis ringens at sea. When anchoveta were not available, fur seals took a wider range of prey. When anchoveta were abundant, fur seals ate little else. Annual pup production on the study beach ranged from 1381-2171. Pup mortality during the breeding season (October-December) was 29-46%. Within any given year, mortality during the breeding season was correlated to adult female density, but there was no similar relationship between years. There was a significant correlation between pup weights and sea surface temperatures. -from Author