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Rings of Power: evidence of mud ring feeding performed by Guiana dolphins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2024

Julia C. Pierry Open the ORCID record for Julia C. Pierry [Opens in a new window] ,
Mariane B. S. Novelli ,
Caio N. Louzada  and
Emygdio L. A. Monteiro-Filho
Julia C. Pierry*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia (IPeC), Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil Laboratório de Biologia e Ecologia de Vertebrados, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Mariane B. S. Novelli
Affiliation:
Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia (IPeC), Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil Laboratório de Biologia e Ecologia de Vertebrados, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Caio N. Louzada
Affiliation:
Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia (IPeC), Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil
Emygdio L. A. Monteiro-Filho
Affiliation:
Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia (IPeC), Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil Laboratório de Biologia e Ecologia de Vertebrados, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil Departamento de Zoologia, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Julia C. Pierry; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

To capture prey more efficiently, cetaceans can display a wide range of foraging tactics to separate individual prey. Barrier feeding tactics are performed to restrict prey movements, using natural and non-natural barriers and some species can even create barriers with their own bodies. Mud ring feeding has been observed in bottlenose dolphins in Florida Bay and in Chetumal-Corozal Bay, where ring-maker dolphins create ring-shaped mud plumes to encircle fish schools. Here, we document for the first time Guiana dolphins performing the mud ring feeding behaviour in the Cananéia estuarine system, in the southern portion of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 11 dolphins were recorded in four expeditions through aerial footage engaging in the behaviour. These findings expand our knowledge about the behavioural plasticity of the species and builds upon existing records of mud ring feeding behaviour in cetaceans.

Keywords

barrier feedingbehavioural plasticitybottlenose dolphincetaceansestuarine dolphinforaging tactics
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 104 , 2024 , e69
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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