Observations of a Benthic Foraging Behavior Used by Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA

Across their worldwide distribution, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) use a variety of techniques to detect, pursue, and capture prey. Dolphins may hunt independently or in groups, and specialized foraging behaviors have been identified at both the individual and population levels. These behavior...

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Published inAquatic mammals Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 159 - 166
Main Authors Quigley, Brian M, Speakman, Todd R, Balmer, Brian C, Europe, Hollis M, Gorgone, Antoinette M, Rowles, Teri K, Sinclair, Carrie, Zolman, Eric S, Schwacke, Lori H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Moline Aquatic Mammals Journal, NFP 01.01.2022
Aquatic Mammals
Subjects
Aquatic mammals
Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin
Benthos
Bottlenosed dolphins
Catfish
Cetacea
Dolphins
Dolphins & porpoises
Drilling
Estuaries
Estuarine dynamics
Fishers
Food and nutrition
Foraging
Foraging behavior
Foraging habitats
Freshwater fishes
Herding
Marine mammals
Observations
Oil spills
Population levels
Populations
Prey
Salinity
Sandbanks
Sediments
Tool use
Tursiops truncatus
United States
Louisiana
Gulf of Mexico
United States > US
Bahamas
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Summary:Across their worldwide distribution, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) use a variety of techniques to detect, pursue, and capture prey. Dolphins may hunt independently or in groups, and specialized foraging behaviors have been identified at both the individual and population levels. These behaviors can involve tool use, coordinated herding of prey, benthic foraging techniques, and even cooperative interactions with fishermen. In many bay, sound, and estuary populations along the US coast, dolphins have developed foraging strategies that incorporate local habitat features. For example, along the southeast coast of the US, strand-feeding dolphins utilize exposed mud and sand banks to drive prey onto shore. Other strategies are more specifically adapted to target and handle individual prey species. For instance, in the northern Gulf of Mexico, several dolphin populations have developed a technique to remove the spiny heads from catfish (Ariidae), consuming the remaining bodies.
ISSN:0167-5427
1996-7292
DOI:10.1578/AM.48.2.2022.159