Changes in interspecies association patterns of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins,Tursiops truncatus, and Atlantic spotted dolphins,Stenella frontalis, after demographic changes related to environmental disturbance

Some species exhibit behavioral plasticity by altering their aggressive behavior based on their opponent. Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are two sympatric species resident to the northern Bahamas. We examined whether groups of adult male spotted dolphins demonstrated behavioral plasticity during two different types of aggressive interactions. We described and compared the types of aggressive behaviors used during intraspecific aggression and interspecific aggression with bottlenose dolphins. Between the years 1991-2004, twenty-two aggressive encounters (11 intraspecific (spotted only), 11 interspecific (spotted vs. bottlenose)) were behaviorally analyzed. Twenty-three specific aggressive Behavioral Events, further grouped into three Behavioral Types, were examined throughout these encounters. Similarities and differences in the use of the Behavioral Types occurred during intra- and interspecific aggression. Groups of male Atlantic spotted dolphins altered their behavior during aggressive encounters with male bottlenose dolphins. Spotted dolphins increased their use of the Pursuit Behavioral Type and did not use the Display Behavioral Type significantly more than the Contact Behavioral Type during interspecific aggression. The increased use of a more overt and energy intensive Behavioral Type, Pursuit, suggests that Atlantic spotted dolphins altered their behavior during aggressive encounters with bottlenose dolphins to compensate during fights with a larger species and/or to effectively communicate with a different species.

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Inshore and offshore bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) communities distinguished by association patterns near Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z99-018 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 77 (4) ◽

pp. 581-592 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Kelly A Rossbach ◽

Denise L Herzing

Keyword(s):

Bottlenose Dolphin ◽

Tursiops Truncatus ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Bottlenose Dolphins ◽

Social Groups ◽

Foraging Strategies ◽

Association Patterns ◽

Simple Ratio ◽

Water Depths

Little is known about the behavior of offshore dolphin populations. Our purpose was to distinguish and describe stable social groups of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) between inshore and offshore West End, Grand Bahama Island (26°42'N, 79°00'W). Photoidentification was conducted from May to September, 1994 to 1996. A simple ratio index described association patterns between dolphins. Multidimensional scaling of association indices (n = 1711 dolphin pairs) distinguished two dolphin communities consisting of 28 dolphins (19 of known sex) found inshore and 15 dolphins (12 of known sex) found greater than or equal to 27 km offshore. Eight of the 15 offshore dolphins were opportunistically photographed in the same region between 1986 and 1990. The two communities were found at different water depths (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.01), over distinct bottom types (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.01), and used different bottom-foraging strategies. Long-term site fidelity of up to 10 years and repeated dolphin associations of up to 8 years occurred greater than or equal to 27 km from shore. Dolphins sighted greater than or equal to 15 times averaged 48 associates (SD = 11, n = 28). A dolphin's closest associate was of the same gender 74% of the time. This study is the first to report long-term site fidelity and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins found far from shore.

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Resighting and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Cedar Keys, Florida: insights into social organization

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-79-3-447 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 79 (3) ◽

pp. 447-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ester Quintana-Rizzo ◽

Randall S. Wells

Keyword(s):

Social Organization ◽

Tursiops Truncatus ◽

Bottlenose Dolphins ◽

Association Patterns

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Small-Scale Movement Patterns, Activity Budgets, and Association Patterns of Radio-Tagged Indian River Lagoon Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Aquatic Mammals ◽

10.1578/am.45.1.2019.66 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 66-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Wendy Noke Durden ◽

Greg O’Corry-Crowe ◽

Steve Shippee ◽

Teresa Jablonski ◽

Sarah Rodgers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tursiops Truncatus ◽

Bottlenose Dolphins ◽

Indian River Lagoon ◽

Movement Patterns ◽

Small Scale ◽

Association Patterns ◽

Activity Budgets ◽

Indian River

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Resighting and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Cedar Keys, Florida: insights into social organization

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z00-223 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 79 (3) ◽

pp. 447-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Ester Quintana-Rizzo ◽

Randall S Wells

Keyword(s):

Social Organization ◽

Tursiops Truncatus ◽

Bottlenose Dolphins ◽

Aquatic Systems ◽

Estuarine System ◽

Association Patterns ◽

Selective Pressures ◽

The Social ◽

Estuarine Systems ◽

Common Dolphins

Little is known about the social organization of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting open estuarine systems. Our purpose was to identify and quantify the resightings of bottlenose dolphins and associations formed among them to provide insights into the social organization of the species in the open estuarine system of the Cedar Keys, Florida. We conducted monthly photographic-identification surveys from June 1996 through May 1997. We identified a total of 233 dolphins of which 217 (93%) were classified into one of four categories based on the number of months in which they were sighted. "Rare" dolphins (sighted during 12 months) constituted more than half of these individuals (61%), followed by "occasional" (35 months; 20%), "common" (>8 months; 12%), and "frequent" (56 months; 7%) dolphins. We quantified the associations for dolphins sighted 10 times (26 common, 12 frequent, and 8 occasional) and found that individuals with different resighting patterns associate with each other but the association is mostly at a low level. The level of association among common dolphins, however, was higher within than between the sexes. Association patterns of common dolphins in the Cedar Keys resemble the associations of resident bottlenose dolphins inhabiting closed estuarine bays, suggesting that the selective pressures which induce such associations are the same in these aquatic systems.

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