Fish 475: Marine Mammalogy

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Fish 475 Marine Mammalogy
Today is Wednesday, 9 May 2007
There are no new handouts today
This Thursdays lab section will meet in rm 108
FSH
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Foraging biology of cetaceans
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Foraging biology of cetaceans
2

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Balaenidae Right whales
• Skim feeders
• Copepod specialists
• Extremely large heads
• Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for
  filtering small zooplankton prey

4
Foraging biology of cetaceans
3

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Balaenidae Right whales
• Skim feeders
• Copepod specialists
• Extremely large heads
• Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for
  filtering small zooplankton prey

5
Foraging biology of cetaceans
4

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Balaenidae Right whales
• Skim feeders
• Copepod specialists
• Extremely large heads
• Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for
  filtering small zooplankton prey

6
Foraging biology of cetaceans
5

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Balaenidae Right whales
• Skim feeders
• Copepod specialists
• Extremely large heads
• Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for
  filtering small zooplankton prey

7
Foraging biology of cetaceans
6

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Balaenidae Right whales
• Skim feeders
• Copepod specialists
• Extremely large heads
• Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for
  filtering small zooplankton prey

8
Foraging biology of cetaceans
7

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 2. Balaenopteridae Rorquals
• Lunge feeders
• Throat pleats
• Variable prey
• Heads more compact than right whales
• Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser
  fringe appropriate for filtering larger
  zooplankton and fish prey

9
Foraging biology of cetaceans
8

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 2. Balaenopteridae Rorquals
• Lunge feeders
• Throat pleats
• Variable prey
• Heads more compact than right whales
• Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser
  fringe appropriate for filtering larger
  zooplankton and fish prey

10
Foraging biology of cetaceans
9

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 2. Balaenopteridae Rorquals
• Lunge feeders
• Throat pleats
• Variable prey
• Heads more compact than right whales
• Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser
  fringe appropriate for filtering larger
  zooplankton and fish prey

11
Foraging biology of cetaceans
10

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 2. Balaenopteridae Rorquals
• Lunge feeders
• Throat pleats
• Variable prey
• Heads more compact than right whales
• Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser
  fringe appropriate for filtering larger
  zooplankton and fish prey

12
Foraging biology of cetaceans
11

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 2. Balaenopteridae Rorquals
• Lunge feeders
• Throat pleats
• Variable prey
• Heads more compact than right whales
• Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser
  fringe appropriate for filtering larger
  zooplankton and fish prey

13
Foraging biology of cetaceans
12

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 2. Balaenopteridae Rorquals
• Lunge feeders
• Throat pleats
• Variable prey
• Heads more compact than right whales
• Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser
  fringe appropriate for filtering larger
  zooplankton and fish prey

14
Foraging biology of cetaceans
13

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

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Foraging biology of cetaceans
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• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

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Foraging biology of cetaceans
15

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

17
Foraging biology of cetaceans
16

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

18
Foraging biology of cetaceans
17

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

19
Foraging biology of cetaceans
18

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

20
Foraging biology of cetaceans
19

• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

21
Foraging biology of cetaceans
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• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• 3. Eschrichtidae Gray whales
• Bottom feeders
• A few throat pleats
• Variable prey types and foraging habitats
• Heads generally similar to rorquals
• Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

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Foraging biology of cetaceans
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• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Cooperative feeding
• Rarely seen
• Best known examples involve humpback whales,
  which often display cooperation and division of
  labor when foraging on schooling prey.
• Most often seen in association with use of
  bubble columns and screens

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Foraging biology of cetaceans
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• Mysticetes The filter feeders
• Key feature associated with large
• body size
• Ability to partition feeding
• activity into discreet spatial
• and temporal components
• of life history
• Possible because of large energy storage capacity
  of the blubber layer, and the favorable surface
  to volume ratio associated with large body size.