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Epimeletic behaviour in rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) on the east coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2009

Jailson Fulgencio de Moura ,
Éderson da Silva Rodrigues  and
Salvatore Siciliano
Jailson Fulgencio de Moura*
Affiliation:
PPG em Saúde Pública e Meio Ambiente, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21410-210, Brazil Projeto de Monitoramento de Mamíferos Marinhos na Bacia de Campos — CENPES/PETROBRAS & ENSP/FIOCRUZ, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública — FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21410-210, Brazil
Éderson da Silva Rodrigues
Affiliation:
Projeto de Monitoramento de Mamíferos Marinhos na Bacia de Campos — CENPES/PETROBRAS & ENSP/FIOCRUZ, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública — FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21410-210, Brazil
Salvatore Siciliano
Affiliation:
Projeto de Monitoramento de Mamíferos Marinhos na Bacia de Campos — CENPES/PETROBRAS & ENSP/FIOCRUZ, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública — FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21410-210, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J.F. de Moura, PPG em Saúde Pública e Meio Ambiente, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/FLOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21410-210, Brazil email: [email protected]
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Abstract

In this note we contribute new evidence of epimeletic behaviour in Steno bredanensis in Brazilian waters. On 2 April 2007 we received information from lifeguards about a dead stranded rough-toothed dolphin at Prainha, Arraial do Cabo, east coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The dolphin was a male juvenile, 187 cm in total body length from the tip of the upper jaw to the caudal notch, and it was in a moderate state of decomposition. The results presented here, in addition to previous studies, indicate that rough-toothed dolphins display a highly complex social structure.

Keywords

Steno bredanensisepimeletic behaviourcare-giving behaviourrough-toothed dolphinsRio de JaneiroBrazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 2 , January 2009 , e12
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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References

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