Residence patterns and site fidelity in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu) (Cetacea, Delphinidae) off Southern Brazil

Simões-Lopes, Paulo C; Fabian, Marta E

doi:10.1590/S0101-81751999000400012

Abstract

Residence patterns, habitat use, range, and some population estimate of the coastal bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), were documented in two coastal sites in southern Brazil: Laguna (Santa Catarina) (28º30'S; 48º55'W), and Imbe/Tramandai (Rio Grande do Sul) (29º58'S; 50º07'W). Regular observations were carried out at the Laguna system for 27 months (August 1989 to December 1991). The dolphins were photo-identified using natural permanent marks. Over 4,500 photograps were taken from shore grounds 6 to 14 meters away. Up to 51 dolphins have used the estuaries of Laguna's canal and Imarui-Santo Antonio's lagoon system in 1991. A stable group of nine animals has inhabited the Imbe/Tramandai area for over 13 years. Both sites were considered distinctive geographical communities, with 5.7% interchange within their individuals. In Laguna 88.5% of the individuals were resident and the rest were nonresident. Four cases of movement along the coastline were followed and females were more resident than males.

Tursiops truncatus; bottlenose dolphin; residence patterns; site fidelity; Southern Brazil

Residence patterns and site fidelity in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu) (Cetacea, Delphinidae) off Southern Brazil

Paulo C. Simões-Lopes^I; Marta E. Fabian^II

^IDepartamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Caixa Postal 5102, 88040-970 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil

^IIDepartamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Residence patterns, habitat use, range, and some population estimate of the coastal bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), were documented in two coastal sites in southern Brazil: Laguna (Santa Catarina) (28º30'S; 48º55'W), and Imbe/Tramandai (Rio Grande do Sul) (29º58'S; 50º07'W). Regular observations were carried out at the Laguna system for 27 months (August 1989 to December 1991). The dolphins were photo-identified using natural permanent marks. Over 4,500 photograps were taken from shore grounds 6 to 14 meters away. Up to 51 dolphins have used the estuaries of Laguna's canal and Imarui-Santo Antonio's lagoon system in 1991. A stable group of nine animals has inhabited the Imbe/Tramandai area for over 13 years. Both sites were considered distinctive geographical communities, with 5.7% interchange within their individuals. In Laguna 88.5% of the individuals were resident and the rest were nonresident. Four cases of movement along the coastline were followed and females were more resident than males.

Key words:Tursiops truncatus, bottlenose dolphin, residence patterns, site fidelity, Southern Brazil.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We are grateful to Miriam Marmontel and Fernando W. Rosas who gave away the first pictures taken at Imbé, Rio Grande do Sul. I am grateful to Edward J. Heske, Nélio B. Barros and two anonymous reviewers for critical reviews of the manuscript. The Barddal Foundation support and fapergs grant were greatly appreciated.

Recebido em 04.VI.1998; aceito em 24.IX.1999.

Ballance, L.T. 1990. Residense patterns, group organization, and surfacing associations of bottlenose dolphins in Kino Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico, p.267-283. In: S. Leatherwood & R.R. Reeves (Eds). The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, Academic Press Inc., 653p.
______. 1992. Habitat use patterns and ranges of the bottlenose dolphin in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 8 (3): 262-274.
Bearzi, G., G. Notarbartolo-di-Sciara & E. Polite. 1997. Social ecology of bottlenose dolphins in Kvarneric (northern Adriatic Sea). Mar. Mamm. Sci. 13: 650-668.
Caldwell, D.K. 1955. Evidence of home range of an Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin. Jour. Mammal. 36 (2): 304-305.
Caldwell, D.K. & M.C. Caldwell. 1972. The World of the Bottle-Nosed Dolphin. New York, Lippincott, 157p.
Connor, R.C. & R.S. Smolker. 1985. Habituated dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in westhern Australia. Jour. Mammal. 66 (2): 398-400.
Defran, R.H.; G.M. Shultz & D.W. Weller. 1990. A technique for the photographic identification and cataloging of dorsal fins of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), p.53-55. In: P.H. Hammond; S.A. Mizroch & G.P. Donovan (Eds). Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-indentification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters. Cambridge, Report of the International Whaling Commission, (spec, issue 12), 440p.
Essapian, F.S. 1962. An albino bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, captured in the United States. Norsk Hvalfangsttid 9: 341-344.
Gunnlaugsson, T. & J. Seguriönsson. 1990. A note on the problem of false positives in the use of natural marking data for abundance estimation, p. 143-145. In: P.H. Hammond; S.A. Mizroch & G.P. Donovan (Eds). Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-indentification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters. Cambridge, Report of the International Whaling Commission (special issue 12), 440p.
Irvene, A.B.; M.D. Scott; R.S. Wells & J.H. Kaufman. 1981. Movements and activities of the Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, near Sarasota, Florida. Fish. Bull. 79: 671-688.
Lockyer, C. & R.J. Morres. 1990. Some observations on wound healing and persistence of scars in Tursiops truncatus, p. 113-118. In: P.H. HAMMOND; S.A. Mezroch & G.P. Donovan (Eds). Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-identification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters. Cambridge, Report of the International Whaling Commission (special issue 12), 440p.
Mead, J.G. 1975. Preliminary report on the former net fisheries for Tursiops truncatus in the western North Atlantic. Jour. Fish. Res. Board Can. 32 (7): 1155-1162.
Möller, L.M.; P.C. Simões-Lopes; E.R. Secche & A.N. Zerbeni. 1994. Uso de fotoidentificação no estudo do deslocamento de botos, Tursiops truncatus (Cetácea, Delphinidae) na costa sul do Brasil, p.5-8. In: A. Xemenez &. P.C. Semões-Lopes (Eds). Anais da 6ª Reunião de Trabalho de Especialistas em Mamíferos Aquáticos da América do Sul. Florianópolis, 142p.
Sadowseci, V. & E.R. de Almeida-Dias. 1986. Migração de tainha (Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 sensu lato) na costa sul do Brasil. Bol. Inst. Pesca, São Paulo, 13(1): 31-50.
Shane, S.H. 1980. Ocurrence, movements and distribution of bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in southern Texas. Fish. Bull. 78 (3): 593-601.
Shane, S.H.; R.S. Wells & B. Wursig. 1986. Ecology, Behavior and social organization of the bottlenose dolphin: a review. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 2 (1): 34-63.
Simões-Lopes, P.C.; M.E. Fabian & J.O. Menegheti. 1998. Dolphin interactions with the mullet artisanal fishing on Southern Brazil: a quantitative and qualitative approach. Revta bras. Zool. 15 (3): 709-726.
True, F.W. 1890. Observations on the life history of the bottlenose porpoise. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 13 (812): 197-203.
Vieira, J. P. & C. Scalabrin. 1991. Migração reprodutiva da "Tainha (Mugil platcmus Giinther, 1880) no sul do Brasil. Atlântica, Rio Grande, 13 (1): 131-141.
Wells, R.S.; A.B. Irvine & M.D. Scott. 1980. The social ecology of inshore odontocetes, p.263-317. In: L.M. Herman (Ed.). Cetacean Behavior: Mechanisms and Functions. New York, Jonh Wiley, 463p.
Wells, R.S; M.D. Scott & A.B. Irvine. 1987. The social structure of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, p.247-305. In: H.H. Genoways (Ed.). Current Mammalogy. New York, 519p.
Wells, R.S; L.J. Hansen; A. Baldridge; T.P. Dohl; D.L. Kelly & R.H. Defran. 1990. Northward extension of the range of Bottlenose Dolphins along the California Coast, p.421-431. In: S. Leatherwood & R.R. Reeves (Eds). The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, Academic Press Inc., 653p.
Wolf, J.M.; R.H. Defran & G.M. Shultz. 1987. Photographic surveys of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along the Ventura-Santa Barbara coastline of Southern California, p.75 In: Proceedings of the 7 Biennial Conference on the biology of marine mammals. Miami.
Wursig, B. 1978. Occurrence and group organization of Atlantic bottlenose porpoise (Tursiops truncatus) in an Argentine Bay. Biology Bull. 154 (2): 349-359.
Wursig, B. & M. Wursig. 1977. The photographic determination of group size, composition, and stability of coastal porpoises (Tursiops truncatus). Science 198: 755-6.
______. 1979. Behavior and ecology of bottlenose porpoises, Tursiops truncatus, in the South Atlantic. Fish. Bull. 77: 399-442.
Wursig, B. & G. Harris. 1990. Site and association fidelity in Bottlenose Dolphins off Argentina, p.361-365. In: S. Leatherwood & R.R. Reeves (Eds). The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, Academic Press Inc, 653p.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
19 June 2009
Date of issue
1999

History

Accepted
24 Sept 1999
Received
04 June 1998

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] Ballance, L.T. 1990. Residense patterns, group organization, and surfacing associations of bottlenose dolphins in Kino Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico, p.267-283. In: S. Leatherwood & R.R. Reeves (Eds). The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, Academic Press Inc., 653p.

[2] ______. 1992. Habitat use patterns and ranges of the bottlenose dolphin in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 8 (3): 262-274.

[3] Bearzi, G., G. Notarbartolo-di-Sciara & E. Polite. 1997. Social ecology of bottlenose dolphins in Kvarneric (northern Adriatic Sea). Mar. Mamm. Sci. 13: 650-668.

[4] Caldwell, D.K. 1955. Evidence of home range of an Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin. Jour. Mammal. 36 (2): 304-305.

[5] Caldwell, D.K. & M.C. Caldwell. 1972. The World of the Bottle-Nosed Dolphin. New York, Lippincott, 157p.

[6] Connor, R.C. & R.S. Smolker. 1985. Habituated dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in westhern Australia. Jour. Mammal. 66 (2): 398-400.

[7] Defran, R.H.; G.M. Shultz & D.W. Weller. 1990. A technique for the photographic identification and cataloging of dorsal fins of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), p.53-55. In: P.H. Hammond; S.A. Mizroch & G.P. Donovan (Eds). Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-indentification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters. Cambridge, Report of the International Whaling Commission, (spec, issue 12), 440p.

[8] Essapian, F.S. 1962. An albino bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, captured in the United States. Norsk Hvalfangsttid 9: 341-344.

[9] Gunnlaugsson, T. & J. Seguriönsson. 1990. A note on the problem of false positives in the use of natural marking data for abundance estimation, p. 143-145. In: P.H. Hammond; S.A. Mizroch & G.P. Donovan (Eds). Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-indentification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters. Cambridge, Report of the International Whaling Commission (special issue 12), 440p.

[10] Irvene, A.B.; M.D. Scott; R.S. Wells & J.H. Kaufman. 1981. Movements and activities of the Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, near Sarasota, Florida. Fish. Bull. 79: 671-688.

[11] Lockyer, C. & R.J. Morres. 1990. Some observations on wound healing and persistence of scars in Tursiops truncatus, p. 113-118. In: P.H. HAMMOND; S.A. Mezroch & G.P. Donovan (Eds). Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-identification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters. Cambridge, Report of the International Whaling Commission (special issue 12), 440p.

[12] Mead, J.G. 1975. Preliminary report on the former net fisheries for Tursiops truncatus in the western North Atlantic. Jour. Fish. Res. Board Can. 32 (7): 1155-1162.

[13] Möller, L.M.; P.C. Simões-Lopes; E.R. Secche & A.N. Zerbeni. 1994. Uso de fotoidentificação no estudo do deslocamento de botos, Tursiops truncatus (Cetácea, Delphinidae) na costa sul do Brasil, p.5-8. In: A. Xemenez &. P.C. Semões-Lopes (Eds). Anais da 6ª Reunião de Trabalho de Especialistas em Mamíferos Aquáticos da América do Sul. Florianópolis, 142p.

[14] Sadowseci, V. & E.R. de Almeida-Dias. 1986. Migração de tainha (Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 sensu lato) na costa sul do Brasil. Bol. Inst. Pesca, São Paulo, 13(1): 31-50.

[15] Shane, S.H. 1980. Ocurrence, movements and distribution of bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in southern Texas. Fish. Bull. 78 (3): 593-601.

[16] Shane, S.H.; R.S. Wells & B. Wursig. 1986. Ecology, Behavior and social organization of the bottlenose dolphin: a review. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 2 (1): 34-63.

[17] Simões-Lopes, P.C.; M.E. Fabian & J.O. Menegheti. 1998. Dolphin interactions with the mullet artisanal fishing on Southern Brazil: a quantitative and qualitative approach. Revta bras. Zool. 15 (3): 709-726.

[18] True, F.W. 1890. Observations on the life history of the bottlenose porpoise. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 13 (812): 197-203.

[19] Vieira, J. P. & C. Scalabrin. 1991. Migração reprodutiva da "Tainha (Mugil platcmus Giinther, 1880) no sul do Brasil. Atlântica, Rio Grande, 13 (1): 131-141.

[20] Wells, R.S.; A.B. Irvine & M.D. Scott. 1980. The social ecology of inshore odontocetes, p.263-317. In: L.M. Herman (Ed.). Cetacean Behavior: Mechanisms and Functions. New York, Jonh Wiley, 463p.

[21] Wells, R.S; M.D. Scott & A.B. Irvine. 1987. The social structure of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, p.247-305. In: H.H. Genoways (Ed.). Current Mammalogy. New York, 519p.

[22] Wells, R.S; L.J. Hansen; A. Baldridge; T.P. Dohl; D.L. Kelly & R.H. Defran. 1990. Northward extension of the range of Bottlenose Dolphins along the California Coast, p.421-431. In: S. Leatherwood & R.R. Reeves (Eds). The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, Academic Press Inc., 653p.

[23] Wolf, J.M.; R.H. Defran & G.M. Shultz. 1987. Photographic surveys of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along the Ventura-Santa Barbara coastline of Southern California, p.75 In: Proceedings of the 7 Biennial Conference on the biology of marine mammals. Miami.

[24] Wursig, B. 1978. Occurrence and group organization of Atlantic bottlenose porpoise (Tursiops truncatus) in an Argentine Bay. Biology Bull. 154 (2): 349-359.

[25] Wursig, B. & M. Wursig. 1977. The photographic determination of group size, composition, and stability of coastal porpoises (Tursiops truncatus). Science 198: 755-6.

[26] ______. 1979. Behavior and ecology of bottlenose porpoises, Tursiops truncatus, in the South Atlantic. Fish. Bull. 77: 399-442.

[27] Wursig, B. & G. Harris. 1990. Site and association fidelity in Bottlenose Dolphins off Argentina, p.361-365. In: S. Leatherwood & R.R. Reeves (Eds). The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, Academic Press Inc, 653p.