Comparative anatomical study of sound production and reception systems in the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis
) and the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena
) heads

A total of 456 skulls of harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, from North American institutions were coded for 40 nonmetric characters. Codes for morphs were arrayed in relative rankings, reflecting trends of variation. Chi-squared contingency test, Kruskal – Wallis one-way analysis of variance, stepwise discriminant analysis (Wilks' method), and jackknife methods were employed in the analyses. The nonmetric cranial characters were not found to be an efficient method to define geographical populations of harbour porpoises. Although differences could be detected by χ2 analysis, no really significant segregation has developed in nonmetric cranial traits between putative subpopulations of harbour porpoises in the western North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific despite the geographical and reproductive isolation of these continental populations. It might result from the species' shorter history compared with that of the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis.

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Cadmium Accumulation and Toxicity in The Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus, The Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis, and Some Dolphin Prey Species in South Australia.

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am97025 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 25

Author(s):

M. Long ◽

R.J. Reid ◽

C.M. Kemper

Keyword(s):

Tursiops Truncatus ◽

Tooth Development ◽

South Australia ◽

Cadmium Accumulation ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Common Dolphin ◽

Delphinus Delphis ◽

Wet Weight ◽

The Common ◽

The Relationship

Twenty Tursiops truncatus and 20 Delphinus delphis from South Australia were analysed for cadmium levels, as were some fish and squid species which form part of their diet. In the dolphins, cadmium was accumulated mainly in the kidneys (range 0-38 μg/g), with levels in many individuals exceeding 20 μg/g (wet weight). On average, levels in kidney were three-fold higher than in liver and 26-fold higher than in muscle. Cadmium concentrations related to dolphin body length, but the relationship with tooth development class was less clear. 80% of the prey fish species analysed from Spencer Gulf exceeded NH & MRC health recommendations of 0.2 μg/g (wet weight) for human consumption. Sepioteuthis australis from upper Spencer Gulf contained significantly higher cadmium levels than Ceduna samples (0.21 ± 0.01 μg/g versus 0.13 ± 0.01 μg/g, p<0.001) (wet weight). On histological examination, 32% of adult dolphin kidneys showed pathological changes, proteinuria being the most common abnormality. High levels of cadmium were found in dolphins from widely spaced locations in South Australia.

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Relation Between Stranding Mortality and Population Abundance of Smaller Cetacea in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f75-130 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 32 (7) ◽

pp. 1095-1099 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

S. G. Brown

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Harbour Porpoise ◽

Continuous Series ◽

Population Abundance ◽

Phocoena Phocoena ◽

Northeast Atlantic ◽

Northeast Atlantic Ocean ◽

The Common ◽

Pilot Whales

The most complete and continuous series of stranding records is probably that for the British coasts, comprising 1616 strandings between 1913–72. The common or harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is most numerous (667 strandings, 41% of total), with 17 other species representing the remaining 59%. These data are related to sightings during two transatlantic yacht races, from a bird observatory off southwest Ireland, and from weather ships. The ratio of Irish sightings to strandings is at least 120:1, the ratio of sightings at weather ship stations to strandings of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) is at least 150:1.

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Cloning and characterisation of the GH gene from the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

General and Comparative Endocrinology ◽

10.1016/s0016-6480(02)00058-8 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 127 (3) ◽

pp. 300-306 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Zoitsa Maniou ◽

O Caryl Wallis ◽

Michael Wallis

Keyword(s):

Common Dolphin ◽

Delphinus Delphis ◽

Gh Gene ◽

The Common

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Size data and stomach contents of common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, near Plymouth

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s002531540004296x ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 66 (2) ◽

pp. 319-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

P. L. Pascoe

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

British Museum ◽

Common Dolphin ◽

Delphinus Delphis ◽

South West ◽

Seasonal Basis ◽

The Common ◽

Common Dolphins ◽

Size Data

INTRODUCTIONThe laboratory at Plymouth was notified of the capture of five dolphins in a commercial trawl on 9 December 1982, three of the specimens were living and therefore immediately released. The remaining two were brought to the laboratory, identified as Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, 1758, their size and sex were recorded and the stomachs removed for examination of their contents. The exact location of capture was not recorded, but is known to be within 40 miles of Plymouth.Reports of strandings of D. delphis collected by the British Museum (Natural History), (Harmer, 1914–27; Fraser, 1934, 1946, 1953, 1974) and more recent recorded sightings (Evans, 1980) show that the common dolphin is clearly not rare in British waters. Although the species has been recorded off all British coasts, sightings and strandings are concentrated off the south and south-west coasts of Britain and Ireland. The variation in their numbers and distribution both during this century and on a seasonal basis each year has been accounted for mainly by the fluctuation and movement of their food supply (Evans, 1980; Sheldrick, 1976).

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