Food partitioning among three sympatric odontocetes (Grampus griseus, Lagenodelphis hosei, and Stenella attenuata)
Resource
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 28(2), e143-e157
Journal
Marine Mammal Science
Journal Volume
28
Journal Issue
2
Pages
E143-E157
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Abstract
Food is one of the most important dimensions of resource partitioning for species coexistence. In this study, we investigated the dietary composition and foraging habits of three sympatric odontocetes in order to identify their levels of food niche overlap and ecological separation. Stomach content analysis was performed on samples collected from carcasses confiscated by police or entangled in gill nets from 1994 to 2001, including 27 Risso's dolphins (GG) (Grampus griseus), 27 Fraser's dolphins (LH) (Lagenodelphis hosei), and 45 pantropical spotted dolphins (SA) (Stenella attenuata). GG consumed only cephalopods, with Enoploteuthis chunii accounting for 90.5% of total prey consumed, LH fed on mesopelagic fishes and cephalopods, dominated by hatchetfish, Polyipnus stereope (50.2%), and SA ate both mesopelagic and epipelagic preys, primarily fishes of Myctophum asperum (20.3%) and squids of E. chunii (25.8%). Among the three odontocetes, GG had the narrowest dietary niche width, while SA had the widest width. Both the niche overlap index and the analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) showed significant diet differentiation among these three dolphin species. The depth distribution of their principal prey items further suggests that LH feeds in the deepest waters while SA utilizes prey resources near surface. © 2011 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy.
Subjects
Diet partitioning; Fraser's dolphin; Niche differentiation; Pantropical spotted dolphin; Risso's dolphin; Stomach content; Taiwan
SDGs
Other Subjects
cephalopod; coexistence; dietary shift; dolphin; fish; food preference; niche overlap; niche partitioning; pelagic environment; sympatry; Taiwan; Cephalopoda; Enoploteuthis chunii; Grampus griseus; Lagenodelphis hosei; Myctophum asperum; Pisces; Polyipnus stereope; Stenella attenuata
Type
journal article
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