Strandings of northern bottlenose whales, Hyperoodon ampullatus, in the north-east Atlantic: seasonality and diet

Peaks in northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus, strandings are found between August and September in the UK and August and November in The Netherlands, consistent with a hypothesized southward migration. However, results on diet suggest that several whales stranded during these months were not travelling from northern latitudes prior to stranding. We analysed the stomach contents of ten whales stranded in the north-east Atlantic (Scotland, N = 6, England, N = 1, Ireland, N = 2 and The Netherlands, N = 1). All but one of the analysed whales (live-stranded in the River Thames in January 2006) stranded between August and October. Food remains consisted almost entirely of cephalopod mandibles. Twenty-one cephalopod species (16 families) were recorded, the most abundant taxa being Gonatus spp., Teuthowenia spp. and Taonius pavo. No fish and few crustacean remains were found. Small amounts of cephalopod flesh were found in three of the stomachs and none in the others. Given that cephalopod beaks can remain within the stomach for several days, and that there was no evidence of inshore feeding (no coastal species were present among the prey), the whales may not have fed for several days prior to stranding. Three whales had remains of warm-temperate water cephalopods (e.g. Vampyroteuthis infernalis, Heteroteuthis sp.) in their stomachs, while three individuals showed a high diversity of prey in their stomachs, suggesting that several of the whales could have been either travelling north or consistently feeding in temperate latitudes prior to stranding. As previously recorded in other deep diving teuthophagous cetaceans, two animals had ingested small amounts of plastic debris.

Download Full-text

Stomach contents of northern bottlenose whales Hyperoodon ampullatus stranded in the North Sea

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315401003484 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 143-150 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

M.B. Santos ◽

G.J. Pierce ◽

C. Smeenk ◽

M.J. Addink ◽

C.C. Kinze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Important Species ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Northern Latitudes ◽

The North Sea ◽

Fish Remains ◽

Northern Bottlenose Whales ◽

Hyperoodon Ampullatus

This paper presents information on the stomach contents of four northern bottlenose whales Hyperoodon ampullatus (Odontoceti: Ziphiidae) from the north-east Atlantic, an area for which there are few recent data on the feeding ecology of this species. Two of these whales were relatively recent strandings, a female stranded in August 1993 at Hargen (the Netherlands) and a male stranded in February 1997 on the island of Tåsinge (Denmark). Stomach content samples were also examined from a juvenile male stranded in November 1885 at Dunbar (Scotland) and a female stranded in August 1956 on the island of Texel (the Netherlands). Food remains from the four samples consisted almost entirely of cephalopod beaks. Some fish remains were also found in the stomach of the Hargen and Tåsinge whales, and the latter also had crustacean remains in the stomach. The cephalopod prey consisted mainly of oceanic cephalopods: Gonatus sp. (probably G. fabricii, Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea), Taoniuspavo and Histioteuthis sp. for the Dunbar whale; Gonatus and Teuthowenia megalops for the Texel whale; Gonatus for the Hargen whale and Gonatus, T. megalops and Taonius pavo for the Tåsinge whale. Other prey species found in the Tåsinge specimen included the squid Histioteuthis reversa, H. arcturi, and the octopods Vampiroteuthis infernalis and Vitreledonella richardi. Based on the size of the lower beaks, the squid eaten included juvenile and mature individuals of the most important species (Gonatus and Teuthowenia megalops). The fish remains consisted of vertebrae of Gadidae and fish eye lenses (Hargen whale) and two Trisopterus otoliths (Tåsinge whale). The results from this study are in agreement with those of previous authors in that cephalopods in general, and G. fabricii in particular, are the main prey of the northern bottlenose whale and other toothed whales in northern latitudes.

Download Full-text

Additional notes on stomach contents of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus stranded in the north-east Atlantic

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315402005787 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 501-507 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

M.B. Santos ◽

G.J. Pierce ◽

M. García Hartmann ◽

C. Smeenk ◽

M.J. Addink ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Physeter Macrocephalus ◽

Sperm Whales ◽

East Atlantic ◽

Main Prey ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Oceanic Species ◽

Fish Remains

The stomach contents of seven male sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus (Odontoceti: Physeteridae) from the north-east Atlantic were examined. One animal was stranded on 27 November 1997 near Wassenaar (the Netherlands). Four became stranded the following day, 28 November 1997, on the island of Ameland (the Netherlands); three of these had food remains in the stomach. Samples were also examined from a whale stranded in August 1998 at Bettyhill (Scotland) and one live-stranded in March 1996 at Tory Island, Co. Donegal (Ireland). Finally, a sample of the stomach contents from a whale stranded near Terneuzen (Scheldt Estuary, the Netherlands) in February 1937 was also examined.All samples consisted almost entirely of cephalopod beaks. Some fish remains were also found in the stomach of the Wassenaar and one of the Ameland whales. The cephalopod prey were mainly oceanic species: Gonatus sp. (probably Gonatus fabricii, Oegopsida: Gonatidae) was the main prey for all the animals stranded in the Netherlands. The specimen stranded in Ireland had consumed a wider range of prey, mainly Histioteuthis bonnellii (Oegopsida: Histiotetuhidae), but also Architeuthis sp. (Oegopsida: Architeuthidae), Chiroteuthis sp. (Oegopsida: Chiroteuthidae), Teuthowenia megalops (Oegopsida: Cranchiidae) and the octopod Haliphron atlanticus (Incirrata: Alloposidae). The fish remains from the Wassenaar whale were saithe (Pollachius virens, Gadiformes: Gadidae), while remains of monkfish (Lophius sp., Lophiiformes: Lophiidae) and an unidentified fish were recorded from one of the Ameland animals.

Download Full-text

The Comparative Feeding Ecology of Six Species of Shark and Four Species of Ray (Elasmobranchii) In The North-East Atlantic

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315400029039 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 76 (1) ◽

pp. 89-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 109

Author(s):

J.R. Ellis ◽

M.G. Pawson ◽

S.E. Shackley

Keyword(s):

Feeding Ecology ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Generalist Predators ◽

Dietary Overlap ◽

East Atlantic ◽

Dietary Breadth ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

North Eastern ◽

Commercial Species

The stomach contents of ten species of elasmobranch from the north-eastern Atlantic indicate that most are generalist predators, eating a variety of polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans and teleosts. Two species, Mustelus asterias and Squatina scjuatina were found to be specialist feeders, consuming portunid crabs and pleuronectids, respectively. Measures for both dietary breadth and dietary overlap are given and the implications of elasmobranch predation on the prey communities and on commercial species are discussed.

Download Full-text

Microzooplankton dynamics during the development of the spring bloom in the north-east Atlantic

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315405011653 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 85 (4) ◽

pp. 741-753 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

E.S. Fileman ◽

R.J.G. Leakey

Keyword(s):

Developmental Stages ◽

Spring Bloom ◽

Mixed Layer Depth ◽

Grazing Impact ◽

East Atlantic ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Protozoan Community ◽

Community Growth ◽

The Uk

Microzooplankton community composition, abundance, biomass and grazing impact were assessed, along with measurements of ciliate growth and mortality, during the onset of the spring bloom in the north-east Atlantic. The study was undertaken as part of the UK Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study during 1 May to 15 June 1990. The microzooplankton community was composed of protozoans and metazoan developmental stages with respective mixed-layer depth integrated biomass values ranging from 127 to 638 and 74 to 394 mg C m−2. High numbers of aloricate ciliates (up to 35,000 cells l−1) dominated the microzooplankton community during early May prior to the onset of the spring bloom. Ciliate abundance then declined rapidly during mid-May with community growth rates ranging from −0·71 to 0·23 d−1. High abundances of metazoplankton (up to 400 l−1) were also recorded at this time and may have contributed to the decline in ciliate numbers. In late May and early June the protozoan community comprised a more even mix of dinoflagellates, tintinnids and aloricate ciliates. Phytoplankton mortality rates, measured using a dilution technique, ranged from 0·2 to 0·5 d−1. The microzooplankton consumed 8 to 44 μg C l−1 d−1, equivalent to between 16 and 40% of the chlorophyll biomass and 38 and 154% of primary production. These high rates of herbivory reflect the predominance of small (<5 μm in length) phytoplankton cells present throughout the first half of the study and support previous studies demonstrating the microzooplankton to be the main grazers of phytoplankton in the north-east Atlantic. However, there is also evidence that a disparity between predator and prey may have prevented a response by the microzooplankton to rapid increases in phytoplankton biomass and production during the spring bloom.

Download Full-text

Distribution, abundance and habitat use of deep diving cetaceans in the North-East Atlantic

Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography ◽

10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.03.015 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 141 ◽

pp. 8-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Emer Rogan ◽

Ana Cañadas ◽

Kelly Macleod ◽

M. Begoña Santos ◽

Bjarni Mikkelsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

East Atlantic ◽

North East ◽

Deep Diving ◽

The North

Download Full-text

29 North-East Atlantic and the North Sea

10.1093/law/9780198715481.003.0029 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Long Ronán

Keyword(s):

North Sea ◽

Law Of The Sea ◽

East Atlantic ◽

Political Factors ◽

Basic Principles ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

The North Sea ◽

The Law ◽

The Uk

This chapter assesses the legal regime of the North-East Atlantic and the North Sea. It begins by discussing some of the geographical, economic, environmental, strategic, and geo-political factors that are shaping the very distinctive regional regimes that give effect to the basic principles, as well as to many of the substantive provisions embodied in the UN Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) and related agreements. It provides a summary of the various maritime jurisdictional zones and boundaries claimed by the twelve coastal States that make-up the region: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. This is followed by a description of some of the principal regional bodies responsible for formulating and implementing various aspects of the law of the sea, including the regional seas environmental body, the EU and several fisheries management organizations.

Download Full-text

Seasonal distribution of white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) in UK waters with new information on diet and habitat use

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315408000076 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 88 (6) ◽

pp. 1159-1166 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sarah J. Canning ◽

M. Begoña Santos ◽

Robert J. Reid ◽

Peter G.H. Evans ◽

Richard C. Sabin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Group Size ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Sea Temperature ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

New Information ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The North Sea ◽

The Uk

The white-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, is commonly found throughout the North Sea and shelf waters of the North Atlantic. Little is known about the behaviour and ecology of this species, especially in British coastal waters. In this paper we present details of the seasonal and geographical distribution of white-beaked dolphins around the UK, along with new information on their diet and habitat use. Analysis of historical stranding records show a segregation of the sexes, with a significant difference between when males and females strand in UK waters. There has been a steady decline in reported strandings since the 1970s and seasonal differences in the distribution of strandings suggest that sea temperature may limit white-beaked dolphin distribution around the British coast. Stomach contents' analysis, from dolphins stranded mainly on the Scottish east coast, identified haddock and whiting as the predominant fish species being taken. Boat surveys were performed along the north-east Scottish coast to examine relationships between topography, environmental conditions, dolphin presence and group size. Dolphin presence was related to seabed slope and aspect while variation in temperature explained almost 45% of variation in observed group size, with smaller groups associated with higher sea temperatures.

Download Full-text

The distribution of Ceratothoa steindachneri (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitic in Echiichthys vipera in the north-east Atlantic

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315402005660 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 415-417 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tammy Horton ◽

Beth Okamura

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

East Atlantic ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

South West ◽

South West Coast ◽

The 1960S ◽

The Uk ◽

Fish Hosts ◽

Parasitic Isopod

The distribution of the recently discovered association of the parasitic isopod Ceratothoa steindachneri (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) with the lesser weever fish (Echiichthys vipera) is reported. Ceratothoa steindachneri appears to have colonized the south-west coast of the UK between the 1960s and the 1980s, possibly as a result of range expansion due to climate change. The occurrence of C. steindachneri in E. vipera from Arcachon, France, indicates that this association has been occurring for over 100 years. Our data confirm that C. steindachneri is able to parasitize a broad range of fish hosts.

Download Full-text

Food and feeding ecology of the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, in the oceanic waters of the north-east Atlantic

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315406013865 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 86 (4) ◽

pp. 909-918 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Julien Ringelstein ◽

Claire Pusineri ◽

Sami Hassani ◽

Laureline Meynier ◽

Rémi Nicolas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Feeding Ecology ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

East Atlantic ◽

Fish Family ◽

Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽

Striped Dolphin ◽

Mature Adults ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Food And Feeding

The food and feeding ecology of the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, in the oceanic waters of the north-east Atlantic were studied using the stomach contents of 60 striped dolphins caught in the albacore drift-net fishery throughout the summer months of 1992 and 1993 off the Bay of Biscay. Thirty-eight per cent of these dolphins were calves (0–1 years old), 25% were juveniles (2–8) and 37% were mature adults (9–32, of which 7 females and 14 males). The diet was found to be primarily composed of fish (39% by mass (M)) and cephalopods (56% M) and secondarily of crustaceans (5% M). The most significant fish family identified was the lanternfish (24% M) with Notoscopelus kroeyeri and Lobianchia gemellarii being predominant. Among squid, the oceanic Teuthowenia megalops and Histioteuthis spp. were the most significant. The pelagic shrimp Sergastes arcticus and Pasiphaea multidentata were the most prevalent crustaceans. Prey sizes ranging from 30 to 170 mm accounted for 80% of the prey items while 80% of the reconstituted biomass consisted of prey measuring between 60 and 270 mm. Prey composition and size-range differed slightly with sex and age or body size of the dolphins. The state of digestion of food remains suggested that predation took place at dusk or during the early hours of the night on which the dolphins were caught.

Download Full-text