Diurnal and Seasonal Variation in the Behaviour of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bahia San Antonio, Patagonia, Argentina

被引:12
|
作者
Vermeulen, Els [1 ,2 ]
Holsbeek, Ludo [3 ]
Das, Krishna [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Liege, Lab Oceanol, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
[2] Univ Pretoria, Mammal Res Inst, Hatfield, South Africa
[3] Free Univ Brussels, Dept Biol, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
关键词
activity budget; foraging strategy; group size; intraspecific competition; seasonal patterns;
D O I
10.1578/AM.41.3.2015.272
中图分类号
Q17 [水生生物学];
学科分类号
071004 ;
摘要
Diurnal and seasonal patterns in the behaviour of a small population of bottlenose dolphins were assessed in Bahia San Antonio (BSA), Patagonia, Argentina, between 2006 and 2011. Results indicated that dolphins used the study area mainly to rest, travel, and forage, with a marked diurnal and seasonal pattern in their activity. During the early morning, most dolphin groups were resting, while towards the afternoon and evening, surface feeding and social activities peaked. During winter, social activities and surface feeding increased notably; during summer, diving behaviour reached its peak, presumably associated with a tail-out/peduncledive foraging strategy. The observed seasonal variation in foraging strategies is hypothesised to be related to the seasonal behavioural changes of prey species in the area that are linked to spawning. The variation in group size further appears to reflect the regulation of feeding competition while reconfirming the low predation risk within the study area. Results of this study indicate the behavioural and social flexibility of bottlenose dolphins in BSA and suggest a link to the seasonal variations in prey availability. Considering the general bottlenose dolphin population declines in Argentina presumably related to prey depletion, it could be argued that the temporal occurrence of spawning shoals and a general low presence of other top predators directly and indirectly make this a favourable area for this population. Additional information is required to more comprehensively address this hypothesis. The information presented herein serves as vital baseline data for future conservation management protocols.
引用
收藏
页码:272 / 283
页数:12
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