Rostrum abnormalities in the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin ( Sousa plumbea ) in South Africa
Rostrum abnormalities in the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin ( Sousa plumbea ) in South Africa
复制标题
南非濒临灭绝的印度洋座头海豚（Sousa plumbea）的嘴部异常
DOI：
10.1111/1749-4877.12685
复制
发表时间：
2022
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
GRIDLEY, Tess
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
FRAINER, Guilherme;ELWEN, Simon;DINES, Sasha;JAMES, Bridget;VERMEULEN, Els;PENRY, Gwenith;VARGAS‐FONSECA, O. Alejandra;ATKINS, Shanan;CONRY, Danielle;GRIDLEY, Tess
野生动物的形态异常可以作为种群潜在健康状况的指标，并且可以通过常规摄影调查来确定。在这里，我们评估了居住在南非沿海水域的印度洋座头海豚（Sousa plumbea）的异常嘴部状况，以了解异常嘴部的患病率并就潜在原因提出假设。摄影数据是根据 1998 年 4 月至 2021 年 3 月期间在南非沿海各个地区获得的系统船只调查和机会性目击事件进行整理的。总体而言，发现 31 名独特的个体具有异常的喙部状况，从轻微的错位到严重的伤口和/或异常的形态。在大多数情况下，伤害可能是由动物生活史中的自然事件造成的，例如与鲨鱼的相互作用和/或与珊瑚礁相关的狩猎策略。马克-重新捕获数据表明，这些人在这些伤害下存活了长达 10 年。这项研究报告了该物种中喙部异常发生率最高的情况。由于数字仅反映那些在受伤后幸存的人，因此它们被认为是最低估计值。鉴于该物种的濒危状态，更好地了解这些伤害的原因非常重要。
Morphological abnormalities in wild animals can be indicators of the underlying health of a population and may be determined through routine photographic surveys. Here, we assess unusual rostrum conditions in Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) inhabiting South African coastal waters to understand the rate of prevalence of abnormal rostrums and formulate hypotheses on potential causes. Photographic data were collated from systematic boat surveys and opportunistic sightings, obtained between April 1998 and March 2021 in various regions along the South African coast. Overall, 31 unique individuals were found with abnormal rostrum conditions, varying from slight misalignments to severe wounds and/or aberrant morphologies. In most cases, injuries were likely caused by natural events during the animal's life history such as interactions with sharks and/or reef‐associated hunting strategies. Mark–recapture data indicated that individuals had survived with these injuries for up to 10 years. This study reports the highest incidence of rostrum abnormalities in the species. As numbers reflect only those that have survived their injuries, they are considered a minimum estimate. A better understanding of the cause(s) of these injuries is important given the endangered status of this species.