GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN TOOTH MORPHOLOGY AND DENTINAL PATTERNS IN THE SPINNER DOLPHIN, STENELLA LONGIROSTRIS

Sixteen tooth characters were analyzed in 277 specimens of spinner dolphins ( Stenella longirostris ) from the eastern tropical Pacific to determine whether the characters were associated with size of the animal, species-stock membership or geographic location. The tooth characters included 5 continuous measurements and 11 qualitative variables. Statistical analyses of the characters included two-way ANOVA tests which assessed continuous measurement variables for differences based on stock membership, latitude and longitude of collection or whether the animal was collected north or south of the equator. Principal component analyses combined factors of continuous variables with those of qualitative variables into components which were used as variables in further analyses. Discriminant analyses were performed using continuous variables alone and using principal components as potentially discriminating variables. Results showed that tooth differences were not associated with size but significant differences were found in some tooth variables with stock membership, incremental changes in latitude and whether the animal was collected north or south of the equator. A discriminant function, containing only tooth length, correctly classified 67% of northern and 78% of southern animals according to location of collection north or south of the equator.     

A DWARF FORM OF THE SPINNER DOLPHIN (STENELLA LONGIROSTRIS) FROM THAILAND

A very small form of the spinner dolphin has been found to inhabit the Gulf of Thailand. Ten specimens taken incidentally in a local shrimp fishery differ from specimens of this species collected elsewhere in body size and shape, skull size and shape, number of teeth and numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Four cranially adult males were 129–137 cm long, well below the ranges for the Indian Ocean, western Pacific, central Pacific, eastern Pacific and Atlantic. The skull is also very small. Tooth counts and vertebral counts average lower than in other series. The color pattern is not significantly different from that of spinner dolphins in the central and western Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans but differs from that of the small eastern spinner of the eastern Pacific. The Gulf of Thailand specimens are morphologically separable from all other specimens, but it is to be expected that when larger samples are available there will be some overlap. The dwarf form may overlap in body and skull size with small spinner dolphins taken incidentally in a gillnet fishery for sharks off northern Australia. The geographic range of the dwarf spinner may be restricted. The size and status of the population and the impact of the shrimp fishery are unknown and should be investigated. The dwarf spinner may have an ecology different from that of other spinners, feeding mainly on reef-associated and benthic organisms rather than mesopelagic animals.     

LIFE HISTORY OF FRASER'S DOLPHIN, LAGENODELPHIS HOSEI, BASED ON A SCHOOL CAPTURED OFF THE PACIFIC COAST OF JAPAN

Life history of Fraser's dolphin, a little known delphinid species, was examined based on 108 specimens from a school captured by the driving fishing method in Japan. The sex ratio was approximately 1:1, and mature dolphins of both sexes formed the bulk of the school. The oldest animals were two males and a female of 17.5 yr. Age and body length at sexual maturity were estimated at 7–10 yr and 220–230 cm in males and 5–8 yr and 210–220 cm in females. Mature males were larger in body length than mature females and showed apparent secondary sexual features: deepening of the tail stock and widening and darkening of the lateral dark stripe. The annual ovulation rate was 0.49. The estimated neonatal length (110 cm) predicts a gestation period of about 12.5 mo and calving peaks in spring and probably also in fall. The calving interval was estimated to be about 2 yr. These life history parameters are similar to those of the striped and pantropical spotted dolphins, except for longevity. The reproductive rate of this species may be lower than that of other pelagic delphinids, if the observed shorter longevity is real.     

DIRECTIONALITY IN THE WHISTLES OF HAWAIIAN SPINNER DOLPHINS (STENELLA LONGIROSTRIS): A SIGNAL FEATURE TO CUE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT?

Dolphins produce frequency modulated (FM) whistles that are thought to promote the synchrony and coordination of behavior between members of a group. How whistles are used in this regard remains poorly understood. One possibility is that whistles have directionality and thereby convey the orientation and direction of movement of the signaler to nearby listeners. To explore this possibility, whistles from free-ranging Hawaiian spinner dolphins ( Stenella longirostris ) were obtained using a towed, three-hydrophone line array and examined for the presence of directionality. Both the estimated source level and harmonic content of whistles produced by animals traveling with or toward the array were greater than those of animals moving ahead or away from it. In addition, signals produced by animals near the array (within 20 m) were received differently on the three hydrophones spaced 11.5 m apart. These differences were greater than would be expected from transmission loss disparities alone. The results indicate that directivity is present in the transmission pattern of whistles. To infer the form of this directivity, a theoretical whistle beam pattern was established based on the assumption that the dolphin's sound source is approximated by a circular piston transducer (Au 1993). The resulting beam indicates that spinner dolphin whistles become increasingly directional with frequency, especially with respect to harmonics. The orientation-dependent harmonic structure of whistles thus presents a potential cue that listening animals could interpret to infer the direction of movement of signalers. Harmonics are present in the whistles of many dolphin species and may represent an inherent signal design feature that promotes coordination between animals.     

Noninvasive methodology for the sampling and extraction of DNA from free‐ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis)

Genetic sampling and molecular investigations are important parts of studying wild populations. However, collecting tissues from free‐ranging animals can be difficult or impractical. This study develops a sampling and extraction protocol for template DNA from faecal material collected in a marine environment from small cetaceans. DNA was extracted from faecal material of free‐ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and subsequently tested for its suitability in molecular investigations by amplifying both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The resulting mitochondrial sequences were found to closely match known S. frontalis haplotypes. Three microsatellite loci were amplified and fall within the expected size range for cetaceans. Mother and calf families previously assigned by observation were genetically confirmed using both mitochondrial haplotype and allele sharing between the mother and offspring. The protocol effectively collects and extracts dolphin DNA from faecal samples and enables species identification as well as confirmation of genetic relatedness and should be considered as a noninvasive alternative to current protocols.     

Spinner dolphins in a remote Hawaiian atoll: social grouping and population structure

Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) commonly use inshoreisland and atoll habitats for daytime rest and social interactionsand forage over deep waters at night. In Hawaii, they occurthroughout the archipelago. We applied photoidentification mark-recapturetechniques to study the population structure of spinner dolphinsassociated with remote Midway Atoll, far-western Hawaii. AtMidway, spinner dolphins live in stable bisexually bonded societiesof long-term associates, with strong geographic fidelity, noobvious fission-fusion, and limited contacts with other populations.Their large cohesive groups change little over time and arebehaviorally/socially discrete from other spinner dolphin groups.This social pattern differs considerably from the fluid fission-fusionmodel proposed previously for spinner dolphins associated witha large island habitat in the main Hawaiian Archipelago. Thesedifferences correspond to geographic separation and habitatvariation. While in the main islands there are several daytimeresting places available at each island habitat; in far-westernHawaii, areas of suitable habitat are limited and separatedby large stretches of open pelagic waters with potentially highrisk of shark predation. We hypothesize that with deepwaterfood resources in close proximity and other atolls relativelyfar away for easy (day-to-day) access, it is energetically morebeneficial in the remote Hawaiian atolls to remain "at home"than to travel to other atolls, so there is stability insteadof variability; there is no fission-fusion effect. Thus, thegeographic isolation and small size of remote atolls triggera process in which the fluidity of the fission-fusion spinnerdolphin society is replaced with long-term group fidelity andsocial stability.     

Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite loci for the short‐beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and cross‐amplification in other cetacean species

Seven tetranucleotide and three dinucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated from the short‐beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). Number of alleles and observed heterozygosity ranged from three to twelve (mean 8.4) and from 0.087 to 0.978 (mean 0.741), respectively. All loci were tested in four other odontocete species and showed polymorphisms in most locus–species combinations. This panel of nuclear markers will be useful for the investigation of population ecology and social interactions in common dolphins and other cetacean species.     

Biphonal calls in Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis): bitonal and burst-pulse whistles

Biphonation, the simultaneous production of two sounds by a single animal, is found in the vocalizations of a range of mammalian species. Its prevalence suggests it plays an important role in acoustic communication. Concurrent vocal and behavioural recordings were made of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) off Bimini, The Bahamas. The occurrence of two types of biphonal signals is reported: burst-pulse whistles with combined tonal and burst-pulse elements, and bitonal whistles. Biphonal whistles are rarely described in reports of dolphin acoustic repertoires, but were common in these dolphins: of all whistles analysed (n = 1211), 26.84% were burst-pulse whistles and 4.71% were bitonal whistles. A subset of whistles (n = 397) were attributed to dolphins of specific age classes, and used to compare prevalence of biphonation across age. Biphonation occurred in 61.54% of sexually mature and 48.32% of sexually immature dolphins’ whistles. Sexually immature dolphins emitted more burst-pulse whistles than older dolphins: 44.13% of sexually immature dolphins’ whistles were burst-pulse whistles, while 15.38% of adult whistles were burst-pulse whistles. Bitonal whistle production was more prevalent in sexually mature dolphins: 41.03% of adult whistles were bitonal, while only 4.19% of sexually immature dolphins’ whistles were bitonal. The prevalence of a biphonal component in specific repeated, stereotyped whistle contours suggests that these acoustic features could be important components of contact calls, or signature whistles. The biphonal components of spotted dolphin whistles may serve to convey additional information as to identity, age or other factors to conspecifics.