First observations of Weddell seals foraging in sponges in Erebus Bay, Antarctica
First observations of Weddell seals foraging in sponges in Erebus Bay, Antarctica
复制标题
DOI：
10.1007/s00300-023-03149-1
复制
发表时间：
2023-05-30
期刊：
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
LaRue, Michelle A. A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Foster-Dyer, Rose T. N.;Goetz, Kimberly T. T.;LaRue, Michelle A. A.
在海洋哺乳动物身上安装摄像机，可以直接观察到水下的行为，否则这些行为可能是看不见的。在2018年和2019年南部春季研究埃里伯斯湾26只哺乳威德尔海豹（Leptonychotes weddellii）的觅食行为时，我们目睹了三只成年海豹和一只幼崽在调查Rossellidae玻璃海绵的腔室，其中一只海豹在把头从海绵上移开时明显在咀嚼。据我们所知，这是此类行为的首次报道。虽然无法识别猎物，但一些吸气孔鱼（一种已知的威德尔海豹猎物）使用玻璃海绵作为庇护所并在其中产卵。四次海绵觅食观察中有三次发生在13:00 （NZDT）左右。三只海绵捕食的成年海豹中有两只的繁殖率高于平均水平，而且在我们的研究种群中，每只海豹在12年内有10只幼崽。这远远高于前三个幼崽的研究群体平均水平（+/- 2.6 SD）。这种新颖的觅食策略可能是为了应对猎物可用性的变化而进化的，并且可能为一些利用猎物资源的个体提供进化优势，而其他个体可能不会。我们的观察为世界上研究最多的海洋哺乳动物之一的觅食行为提供了新的见解。对威德尔海豹行为的社会方面的进一步研究可能会增加我们对同种动物之间行为转移的程度和机制的理解。研究特别成功或有经验的繁殖者的特定觅食行为也是必要的。
Attaching cameras to marine mammals allows for first-hand observation of underwater behaviours that may otherwise go unseen. While studying the foraging behaviour of 26 lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay during the austral spring of 2018 and 2019, we witnessed three adults and one pup investigating the cavities of Rossellidae glass sponges, with one seal visibly chewing when she removed her head from the sponge. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such behaviour. While the prey item was not identifiable, some Trematomus fish (a known Weddell seal prey) use glass sponges for shelter and in which to lay their eggs. Three of the four sponge foraging observations occurred around 13:00 (NZDT). Two of the three sponge foraging adults had higher-than-average reproductive rates, and the greatest number of previous pups of any seal in our study population, each having ten pups in 12 years. This is far higher than the study population average of three previous pups (+/- 2.6 SD). This novel foraging strategy may have evolved in response to changes in prey availability, and could offer an evolutionary advantage to some individuals that exploit prey resources that others may not. Our observations offer new insight into the foraging behaviours of one of the world's most studied marine mammals. Further research on the social aspects of Weddell seal behaviour may increase our understanding of the extent and mechanisms of behavioural transfer between conspecifics. Research into the specific foraging behaviour of especially successful or experienced breeders is also warranted.