Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu 1821) in central-northern coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: stranding patterns and insights into feeding habits

Authors

  • Jailson Moura Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos (GEMM-Lagos) - Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública—FIOCRUZ, Dept° de Endemias. Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480–6° andar, sala 620, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-210, Brazil; Instituto Megafauna Marinha - IMMAR
  • Davi Castro Tavares PPG Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro – UENF, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Horto, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ 28013-602 Brazil; Instituto Megafauna Marinha - IMMAR
  • Helio K.C. Secco PPG em Ecologia Aplicada; Universidade Federal de Lavras - Laboratório de Manejo e Conservação Ambiental; Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
  • Salvatore Siciliano Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública ENSP – FIOCRUZ, Dept° de Endemias, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos – GEMM-Lagos, . Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 - 6° andar, sala 620, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-210, Brazil; Instituto Megafauna Marinha - IMMAR

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5597/00228

Keywords:

Strandings, Feeding Ecology, By-catch, Fisheries Interactions

Abstract

The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) may be one of the best known dolphin species worldwide, principally due to its coastal distribution in many regions. However, few studies about ecology, biology and threats have been conducted on the Brazilian coast. The aim of the present work is to analyze the stranding pattern and stomach contents of bottlenose dolphins in the central-north coast of the Rio de Janeiro State, from Saquarema to São Francisco de Itabapoana (~300km of coast line). Forty nine stranding events were recorded through regular beach surveys from 1999 to 2012 and also through access to previous published studies conducted since 1984. The strandings were distributed throughout the study area, but there was a trend of occurrence in the extreme southern and northern regions. Nine specimens showed evidence of accidental mortality in fishing nets. The strandings were more frequently recorded during autumn and winter (χ2; p < 0.05). Male bottlenose dolphins stranded more often than females, showing significant differences in this relationship (χ2; p < 0.05). Most stranded dolphins were classified as adults (> 230cm of body length) (χ2; p < 0.05). The body length varied from 106 to 335cm. Four prey species were found in the stomach contents from the three specimens of bottlenose dolphin analyzed. The most representative prey species was the cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus). This study showed that bottlenose dolphins are frequently found dead along the Rio de Janeiro State where they feed mainly on coastal fish. Future studies need to be conducted to improve the knowledge on this poorly known cetacean in Brazil.

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Published

2017-01-08

How to Cite

Moura, J., Tavares, D. C., Secco, H. K., & Siciliano, S. (2017). Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu 1821) in central-northern coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: stranding patterns and insights into feeding habits. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 11(1-2), 191-198. https://doi.org/10.5597/00228

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