1
|
Marley SA, McConnell L, Allen C, Wettner S, Hunt T, Rocha D, Gullan A. Dolphins, sharks, and barnacles: Use of photographs to examine intra- and inter-specific interactions in bottlenose dolphins in Mozambique. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11691. [PMID: 39114178 PMCID: PMC11303981 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding interactions within and between species is crucial to ecological research. However, for cetaceans such interactions can be difficult to observe in the field. Photographs offer an opportunity to study intra- and inter-specific interactions, by capturing 'snapshots' of their occurrence over space and time. At-surface and underwater photographs of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (PPMR), Mozambique, were used to examine evidence of interactions with other dolphins, predators and ectoparasites. Intra-specific scarring levels significantly differed by sex and age class, with males displaying more scarring than females. Similarly, adults had more scarring than juveniles or calves. Shark bites significantly differed in their distribution across dolphin body areas, with the dorsal side being more frequently wounded than the ventral side. The presence of barnacles was exclusive to fluke, dorsal and pectoral fins, and showed strong seasonal trends. Overall, this study demonstrates the value of photographs for examining marine ecological interactions. It provides the first insights regarding dolphin social behaviour, predation risk and health for this population. These in turn will support future research into the population dynamics and conservation of the PPMR dolphins, which is urgently required in the face of locally increasing anthropogenic pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Marley
- Scotland's Rural College, Craibstone EstateAberdeenUK
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthSouthseaUK
| | - Laura McConnell
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthSouthseaUK
| | - Chloe Allen
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthSouthseaUK
| | - Shaye Wettner
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthSouthseaUK
| | - Thomas Hunt
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthSouthseaUK
| | - Diana Rocha
- School of the Environment, Geography and GeosciencesUniversity of PortsmouthPortsmouthUK
- Dolphin Encountours Research CenterPonta Do OuroMozambique
| | - Angie Gullan
- Dolphin Encountours Research CenterPonta Do OuroMozambique
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Coomber FG, Falcone EA, Keene EL, Cárdenas-Hinojosa G, Huerta-Patiño R, Rosso M. Multi-regional comparison of scarring and pigmentation patterns in Cuvier’s beaked whales. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00226-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
3
|
Ham JR, Lilley MK, Manitzas Hill HM. Conspecific scarring on wild belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cunningham Inlet. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Intra-specific aggression is not frequently observed in wild cetaceans, including belugas. One proxy, identified in past research, that indicates past aggressive behaviour is the presence of rake marks (scars left on skin by the teeth of conspecifics). Behavioural observations of belugas, compared to bottlenose dolphins, suggest that belugas engage in less physically aggressive behaviour; yet, a detailed study of beluga aggressive behaviour remains to be conducted. Beluga intra-specific aggression was assessed by scoring photographs taken from July to August in 2015 at Cunningham Inlet, Canada for the presence/absence and body location of rake marks. Of the 252 belugas analysed, 44% had rake marks. The results suggest that physical aggression occurs comparatively less with only half of the observed beluga population having rake marks compared to almost all bottlenose dolphins previously surveyed. We suggest social structure, skin pigmentation, and/or species-specific behaviours as explanations for the differences in rake marks among species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jackson R. Ham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4
| | - Malin K. Lilley
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A & M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78224, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hamilton RA, Borcuch T, Allen SJ, Cioffi WR, Bucci V, Krützen M, Connor RC. Male aggression varies with consortship rate and habitat in a dolphin social network. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
5
|
Clegg ILK, Rödel HG, Mercera B, van der Heul S, Schrijvers T, de Laender P, Gojceta R, Zimmitti M, Verhoeven E, Burger J, Bunskoek PE, Delfour F. Dolphins' Willingness to Participate ( WtP) in Positive Reinforcement Training as a Potential Welfare Indicator, Where WtP Predicts Early Changes in Health Status. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2112. [PMID: 31607979 PMCID: PMC6773886 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Welfare science has built its foundations on veterinary medicine and thus measures of health. Since bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) tend to mask symptoms of poor health, management in captivity would benefit from advanced understanding on the links between health and behavioural parameters, and few studies exist on the topic. In this study, four representative behavioural and health measures were chosen: health status (as qualified by veterinarians), percentage of daily food eaten, occurrences of new rake marks (proxy measure of social activity), and willingness to participate (WtP) in Positive Reinforcement Training sessions as qualitatively measured by their caretakers. These data were collected multiple times a day, every day over the course of a year from a multi-facility, large sample size (n dolphins = 51), allowing powerful analyses of the relationships between measures. First, it was found that dolphins with a higher WtP score also had a significantly better health status, ate a higher percentage of their daily food, and a lower occurrence of new rake marks. In addition, the WtP score was significantly lower up to 3 days before the weekly veterinary diagnosis of a decrease in health state; the percentage of daily food eaten and new rake mark measures did not show any significant change before such a diagnosis. These results suggest that WtP in training sessions is a potential behavioural measure of dolphin welfare, and an indicator of early changes in the dolphins' health state. We therefore suggest measurement of WtP as a more practical and non-invasive tool to support veterinary care and general management. More work needs to be conducted to elucidate the influence of social behaviour on health, and to identify other potential welfare indicators, but this long-term study has shown that qualitative measures can be both practical and valid when assessing dolphin welfare.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella L. K. Clegg
- Animal Welfare Expertise, London, United Kingdom
- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA 4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
- Parc Astérix, Plailly, France
| | - Heiko G. Rödel
- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA 4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Martina Zimmitti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Fabienne Delfour
- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA 4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
- Parc Astérix, Plailly, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Keevil M, Hewitt B, Brooks R, Litzgus J. Patterns of intraspecific aggression inferred from injuries in an aquatic turtle with male-biased size dimorphism. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in turtles are correlated with ecological mode, and it has been hypothesized that mating systems are also shaped by ecological mode. Male combat and coercive mating are competing explanations for male-biased SSD, but are difficult to assess empirically in aquatic species with cryptic behaviour. We quantified SSD and compiled observations of putative combat wounds collected from over 500 captures of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina (L., 1758)) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, to test hypotheses of mate competition and coercion. We found that both sex and body size were important predictors of risk of wounding, consistent with the hypothesis that male–male sexual competition is the primary driver of intraspecific aggression. Low wounding rates among females suggests that resource competition and coercive mating are not important causes of injuries. The risk of wounding increased monotonically with body size in adult males but not in adult females, and small males were less likely to be injured, suggesting that they employ a risk-averse strategy by avoiding direct competition for mates. There was no evidence of asymptotic or decreasing wounding probability in the largest males, which is consistent with the hypothesis that large males compete most intensively to monopolize mates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M.G. Keevil
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - B.S. Hewitt
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - R.J. Brooks
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - J.D. Litzgus
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
McDonald TL, Hornsby FE, Speakman TR, Zolman ES, Mullin KD, Sinclair C, Rosel PE, Thomas L, Schwacke LH. Survival, density, and abundance of common bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay (USA) following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
8
|
Brown AM, Bejder L, Parra GJ, Cagnazzi D, Hunt T, Smith JL, Allen SJ. Sexual Dimorphism and Geographic Variation in Dorsal Fin Features of Australian Humpback Dolphins, Sousa sahulensis. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2015; 73:273-314. [PMID: 26790895 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Determining the sex of free-ranging cetaceans can be challenging. Sexual dimorphism among external features may allow inferences on sex, but such patterns may be difficult to detect and are often confounded by age and geographic variation. Dorsal fin images of 107 female and 54 male Australian humpback dolphins, Sousa sahulensis, from Western Australia (WA) and Queensland (QLD) were used to investigate sex, age and geographic differences in colouration, height/length quotient and number of notches. Adult males exhibited more dorsal fin notches (p<0.001) and a significantly greater loss of pigmentation on the upper half of their dorsal fins (p<0.001) than did adult females. These differences likely reflect that males experience a higher frequency and/or intensity of intraspecific aggression than females. In QLD, heavily spotted dorsal fins were more frequent among females than males (p<0.001). Logistic regression analyses revealed that dorsal fin spotting and loss of pigmentation on the upper half of the dorsal fin provided the best model parameters for predicting the sex of sampled adults, with 97% accuracy. This technique offers a rapid, non-invasive method for predicting sex in Australian humpback dolphins, which could potentially be applied to populations throughout their range. In contrast to adults, presumed immature animals showed little or no loss of pigmentation or spotting; however, the rate of development of these features remains unknown. There were pronounced differences between QLD and WA in the intensity of spotting on dorsal fins and the extent of pigmentation loss around the posterior insertion and trailing edge of the dorsal fin. While based on a limited sample size, these geographic differences may have conservation implications in terms of population subdivision and should be investigated further.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Brown
- Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Lars Bejder
- Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Guido J Parra
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL), School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Daniele Cagnazzi
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tim Hunt
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL), School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Smith
- Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Simon J Allen
- Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Orbach D, Rosenthal G, Würsig B. Copulation rate declines with mating group size in dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Males in polygamous species often engage in intrasexual competition for mates. If females actively evade mating attempts, it may benefit males to cooperate to restrict female movement, as has been found in some mammals. We tested if male dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus (Gray, 1828)) cooperate or compete during group mating chases. If they cooperate, then the per-male probability of copulating should increase with group size; if they compete, then the probability should decrease. We followed mating groups by boat during the breeding season (October 2013 – January 2014) off Kaikoura, New Zealand. The copulation rate per male decreased with increasing group size and with the number of noncopulating males in proximity to a copulating female. Male dusky dolphins have multiple mates and appear to use sperm and exploitative scramble competition. Males may remain in mating groups despite competition because there are alliances within the groups, they are unable to exclude rivals from joining a group, the time and energy costs of searching for unescorted females exceed the costs of reduced mating opportunities in a group, they receive other direct or indirect benefits that offset the costs of reduced mating opportunities, or they are in the group largely for social learning rather than procreation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D.N. Orbach
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - G.G. Rosenthal
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - B. Würsig
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Orbach DN, Packard JM, Kirchner T, Würsig B. Evasive behaviours of female dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) during exploitative scramble competition. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
When males engage in scramble competition, are females non-evasive recipients of male coercion or evasive? Small groups of male dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) engage in exploitative (non-interference) scramble competition for access to oestrous females near Kaikoura, New Zealand. We conducted behavioural sequence analyses of videos of 48 mating groups with continuous records and focal individual follows of females. We determined (1) the frequency and type of behaviours (non-evasive vs. evasive), (2) the variation in simple transition probabilities of behaviours leading to a copulatory position associated with female resistance and non-resistance and (3) the variation in female responses to male behaviours throughout focal follows. Females exhibited frequent active evasive manoeuvers following male behaviours. Copulation sequences were highly variable and most complex when terminated by females. Females altered responses to male signals, one aspect of mate choice potentially favouring male endurance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dara N. Orbach
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Jane M. Packard
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Theresa Kirchner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Bernd Würsig
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| |
Collapse
|