Dear Marmam subscribers,
Apologies in advance, to those of you on both listserves who will receive
cross-postings.
I am pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Aquatic
Mammals 32 (3) (abstract bellow):
Díaz López, B., 2006. Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Predation on a
Marine Fin Fish Farm: Some Underwater Observations. Aquatic Mammals 32 (3), 305
- 310,
DOI 10.1578/AM.32.3.2006.305
Abstract
This paper reports on the results of underwater observations of bottlenose
dolphin feeding
behaviour in a marine fin fish farm on the Sardinian coast in Italy from 2000
to 2005. During the study period, 178 underwater encounters were noted during
79 sightings of bottlenose dolphins at a fish farm. Total time spent underwater
in the presence of dolphins was 284 min, with a mean encounter duration of 1.6
± 1.3 min. Bottlenose dolphins were primarily observed hunting both schooling
and solitary prey around the fish farm cages, using
seven cooperative and individual feeding strategies throughout the water
column. The underwater observations suggest that the use of different feeding
strategies is consistent with the hypothesis that bottlenose dolphins apply
common decision rules in relation to prey availability, resulting in the use of
different foraging techniques. The observed frequency of the feeding strategies
employed by dolphins preying directly on farmed fish could be
worrisome for aquaculture.
Key Words: Tursiops truncatus, bottlenose dolphin, aquaculture, behaviour,
predation, marine fin fish farm, Mediterranean Sea
A pdf file is available and can be sent on request ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), the
article will be available shortly from the BDRI's website www.thebdri.com
This paper is one in a series of studies that have been published over the
past years which show the influence of a marine fin fish farm in bottlenose
dolphins presence and feeding behaviour.
Best wishes,
Bruno Díaz López
Zoologist & Chief Director
The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute - BDRI
V.Diaz 4, Golfo Aranci 07020 Italy
www.thebdri.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tel: 00 39 346 0815414
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