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Cetacean stranding and diet analyses in the North Aegean Sea (Greece)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2017

C.B. Milani ,
A. Vella ,
P. Vidoris ,
A. Christidis ,
E. Koutrakis ,
A. Frantzis ,
A. Miliou  and
A. Kallianiotis
C.B. Milani*
Affiliation:
Conservation Biology Research Group, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala, 64007 Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece
A. Vella
Affiliation:
Conservation Biology Research Group, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
P. Vidoris
Affiliation:
Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala, 64007 Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece
A. Christidis
Affiliation:
Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala, 64007 Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece
E. Koutrakis
Affiliation:
Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala, 64007 Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece
A. Frantzis
Affiliation:
Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, Athens, Greece
A. Miliou
Affiliation:
Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Samos-Athens, Greece
A. Kallianiotis
Affiliation:
Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala, 64007 Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C.B. Milani, Conservation Biology Research Group, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta email: crismilani13@hotmail.com
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Abstract

Cetacean stranding reports in the North Aegean Sea were recorded since 1998 from Strimonikos Gulf in Chalkidiki up to Alexandroupoli on the Turkish border and in a few northern Aegean islands. On site, the specimens were examined to identify species, gender, approximate age and, when possible, cause for stranding. A total of 26 filled stomachs of five cetacean species collected since 2002 were analysed: bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus (N = 8), common dolphins Delphinus delphis (N = 8), harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena (N = 5), striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba (N = 4) and Risso's dolphins Grampus griseus (N = 1). From the analysed stomachs it was found that the bottlenose dolphins fed mainly on snake blenny Ophidion barbatum (34%), bogue Boops boops (22%) and round sardinella Sardinella aurita (13%); common dolphins on round sardinella (17%), picarels Spicara spp. (10%) and Cocco's lantern fish Lobianchia gemellaris (9%); harbour porpoises on Gobidae (four-spotted goby Deltentosteus quadrimaculatus 41% and black goby Gobius niger 37%) and round sardinella (7%); striped dolphins on Myctophydae (Madeira lantern fish Ceratoscopelus maderensis 51%), and on Pfeffer's enople squid Abraliopsis morisii (10%) and bogue (8%); and Risso's dolphin exclusively on Teuthidae (31%), the umbrella squid Histioteuthis bonellii (30%) and the reverse jewel squid H. reversa (14%). The present work represents the first attempt to investigate the diet up to species level for several cetaceans in Greek waters and for harbour porpoises stranded in the Mediterranean Sea.

Keywords

Cetacean strandingsDelphinus delphisdiet analysisGrampus griseusNorth Aegean SeaPhocoena phocoenaStenella coeruleoalbastomach contentsTursiops truncatus
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Special Issue 5: Marine Mammals , August 2018 , pp. 1011 - 1028
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017 

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