Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x5gtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-05T13:13:00.264Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Interspecific cetacean interactions during the breeding season of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) on the north coast of Bahia State, Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2009

Marcos R. Rossi-Santos ,
Elitieri Santos-Neto  and
Clarêncio G. Baracho
Marcos R. Rossi-Santos*
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Avenida do Farol, s/n, Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil, 48280-000
Elitieri Santos-Neto
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Avenida do Farol, s/n, Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil, 48280-000
Clarêncio G. Baracho
Affiliation:
Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Avenida do Farol, s/n, Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil, 48280-000
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: M.R. Rossi-Santos, Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Avenida do Farol, s/n, Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil, 48280-000 email: marcos.rossi@baleiajubarte.org.br
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The large majority of cetacean interspecific studies report only on dolphin interactions, while studies on interactions between odontocete and mysticete are less common. The present work aims to report on sightings of cetacean interactions, during the breeding season of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), along 370 km of the Bahia State, north-eastern Brazil, addressing aspects of cetacean distribution and behaviour. During 7 seasons (2000–2006), a total of 230 research cruises were performed, in which 38 events of interactions among humpback whales and other cetaceans (Tursiops truncatus, Steno bredanensis, Peponocephala electra and Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were observed, plus another 5 encounters without the whale's presence, including T. truncatus, S. bredanensis, P. electra, Stenella clymene and Stenella attenuata. Our results confirm the occurrence of multiple cetacean species in the Bahia State, being the first study in the world to report on a large range of interactions involving another 4 cetacean species, grouped with up to 3 mixed species per sighting, with humpback whales in their annual breeding ground.

Keywords

Megaptera novaeangliaecetacean interactionsBahiaBrazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 89 , Special Issue 5: Cetaceans , August 2009 , pp. 961 - 966
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Arnbom, T., Papastavrou, V., Weilgart, L.S. and Witehead, H. (1987) Sperm whales react to an attack by killer whales. Journal of Mammalogy 68, 450–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baracho, C., Rossi-Santos, M.R., Cipolotti, S., Neto, E. and Marcovaldi, E. (2006) Novas informações sobre a ocorrência de odontocetos (Cetacea: Delphinidae) na região de Itacaré, Estado da Bahia, Brasil. In Abstracts of the VII Congresso Internacional sobre manejo de Fauna Silvestre na Amazônia e América Latina, Universidade Estadual Santa Cruz, Ilhéus.Google Scholar
Baumgartner, M.F. (1997) The distribution of Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) with respect to the physiography of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Marine Mammal Science 13, 614–638.Google Scholar
Carvalho, M.S., Rossi-Santos, M.R., Baracho, C.G., Cipolotti, S.R., Lima, F. and Marcovaldi, E. (2007) Opportunistic sightings of dolphins in the North Coast of Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil, between 2001 and 2006. Abstracts of the 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Cape Town, South Africa.Google Scholar
Ciano, J.N. and Jorgensen, R. (2000) Observations on an interaction between a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and pilot whales (Globicephala melas). Marine Mammal Science 16, 245–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clapham, P.J. (2000) The humpback whale: seasonal feeding and breeding in baleen whales. In Mann, J., Connor, R.C., Tyack, P.T. and Whitehead, H. (eds) Cetacean societies, field studies of dolphins and whales. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, pp. 173–196.Google Scholar
Engel, M. (1996) Comportamento reprodutivo das baleias jubartes (Megaptera novaeangliae) em Abrolhos. Anais de Etologia 14, 275–284.Google Scholar
Florez-Gonzáles, L., Capella, J.J. and Rosenbaum, H.C. (1994) Attack of killer whales (Orcinus orca) on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on a South American Pacific breeding ground. Marine Mammal Science 10, 218–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frantzis, A. and Herzing, D.L. (2002) Mixed-species associations of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) in the Gulf of Corinth (Greece, Mediterranean Sea). Aquatic Mammals 28, 188–197.Google Scholar
Gannier, A. (2002) Cetaceans of the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia): distribution and relative abundance as obtained from a small boat dedicated survey. Aquatic Mammals 28, 198–210.Google Scholar
Herzing, D.L., Moewe, K. and Brunnick, B.J. (2003) Interspecies interactions between Atlantic spotted dolphins, Stenella frontalis and bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, on Great Bahama Bank, Bahamas. Aquatic Mammals 29, 335–341.Google Scholar
Jaquet, N. and Gendron, D. (2002) Distribution and relative abundance of sperm whales in relation to key environmental features, squid landings and the distribution of other cetacean species in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Marine Biology 141, 591–601.Google Scholar
Jefferson, T.A., Stacey, P.J. and Baird, R.W. (1991) A review of killer whale interactions with other marine mammals: predation to co-existence. Mammal Review 21, 151–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehner, P.N. (1996) Handbook of ethological methods. 2nd edition.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Lodi, L., Wedekin, L.L., Rossi-Santos, M.R. and Marcondes, M.C. (2008) Movements of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica (8)4: http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v8n4/en/abstract?short-communication+bn00808042008Google Scholar
Marcovaldi, M.A. and Laurent, A. (1996) A six season study of marine turtle nesting at Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil, with implications for conservation and management. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 2, 55–59.Google Scholar
Martins, C.C.A., Morete, M.E., Engel, M.H., Freitas, A.C., Secchi, E.R. and Kinas, P.G. (2001) Aspects of habitat use patterns of humpback whales in the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil, breeding ground. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 47, 563–570.Google Scholar
Norris, K.S. and Dohl, T.P. (1980) Behavior of the Hawaiian spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris. Fishery Bulletin 77, 812–849.Google Scholar
Palacios, D.M. and Mate, B. (1996) Attack by false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) on sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Galapagos Islands. Marine Mammal Science 12, 582–587.Google Scholar
Psarakos, S., Herzing, D.L. and Marten, K. (2003) Mixed-species associations between pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) and Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) off Oahu, Hawaii. Aquatic Mammals 29, 390–395.Google Scholar
Reyes, L.M. (2006) Cetacean distribution in the South Atlantic and South Pacific Ocean. Retrieved from http://www.iobis.orgGoogle Scholar
Rossi-Santos, M.R., Wedekin, L.L. and Souza-Lima, R.S. (2006) Distribution and habitat use of small cetaceans off Abrolhos Bank, Eastern Brazil. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 5, 23–28.Google Scholar
Rossi-Santos, M.R., Neto, E.S., Baracho, C.G., Cipolotti, S.R., Marcovaldi, E. and Engel, M.H. (2008) Occurrence and distribution of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on the north coast of the State of Bahia, Brazil, 2000–2006. ICES Journal of Marine Science 65, 667–673.Google Scholar
Selzer, L.A. and Payne, P.M. (1988) The distribution of white-sided (Lagenorhynchus acutus) and common dophins (Delphinus delphis) vs. environmental features of the continental shelf of the northeastern United States. Marine Mammal Science 4, 141–153.Google Scholar
Shane, S.H., Wells, R.S. and Würsig, B. (1986) Ecology, behavior and social organization of the bottlenose dolphin: a review. Marine Mammal Science 2, 34–63.Google Scholar
Shelden, K.E.W., Baldridge, A.A. and Withrow, D.E. (1995) Observations of Risso's dolphins, Grampus griseus, with gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus. Marine Mammal Science 11, 231–240.Google Scholar
Silber, G.K., Newcomer, M.W. and Pérez-Cortés, M. (1990) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) attack and kill a Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni). Canadian Journal of Zoology 68, 1603–1606.Google Scholar
Simões, D.G. (2005) Comportamento das baleias jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) no litoral norte da Bahia e Banco dos Abrolhos. MSc dissertation. Universidade de Brasília, 104 pp.Google Scholar
Simões-Lopes, P.C. and Fabián, M.E. (1999) Residence patterns and site fidelity in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu) (Cetacea, Delphinidae) off Southern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 16, 1017–1024.Google Scholar
Vidal, O. and Pechter, G. (1989) Behavioral observations of a fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, in the presence of killer whale, Orcinus orca. Fishery Bulletin 87, 370–373.Google Scholar
Wedekin, L.L., Freitas, A., Engel, M.H. and Sazima, I. (2004) Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) catch diskfishes while interacting with humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off Abrolhos Bank breeding ground, Southwest Atlantic. Aquatic Mammals 30, 327–329.Google Scholar
Weller, D.W., Würsig, B., Whitehead, H., Norris, J.C., Lynn, S.K., Davis, R.W., Clauss, N. and Brown, P. (1996) Observations of an interaction between sperm whales and short-finned pilot whales in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine Mammal Science 12, 588–593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, R.S., Irvine, A.B. and Scott, M.D. (1980) The social ecology of inshore odontocetes. In Herman, L.M. (ed.) Cetacean behavior: mechanisms and functions. Malabar: Krieger Publishing Company, pp. 263–317.Google Scholar
Whitehead, H.P. (1983) Structure and stability of humpback whale groups off Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Zoology 61, 1391–1397.Google Scholar
Whitehead, H. and Glass, C. (1985) Orcas (killer whales) attack humpback whales. Journal of Mammalogy 66: 183–185.Google Scholar
Wilson, E.O. (2000) Sociobiology: the new synthesis (25th Anniversary Edition). Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.Google Scholar