Body shape changes associated with reproductive status, nutrituve condition and growth in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and E. australis

dc.contributor.authorMiller, Carolyn A.
dc.contributor.authorBest, Peter B.
dc.contributor.authorPerryman, Wayne L.
dc.contributor.authorBaumgartner, Mark F.
dc.contributor.authorMoore, Michael J.
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-10T10:30:05Z
dc.date.available2017-01-10T10:30:05Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractMammalian reproduction is metabolically regulated; therefore, the endangered status and high variability in reproduction of North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis necessitate accurate assessments at sea of the nutritional condition of living individuals. Aerial photogrammetry was used to measure dorsal body width at multiple locations along the bodies of free-swimming right whales at different stages of the female reproductive cycle (E. glacialis) and during the initial months of lactation (mother and calf Eubalaena australis) to quantify changes in nutritional condition during energetically demanding events. Principal components analyses indicated that body width was most variable at 60% of the body length from the snout. Thoracic, abdominal and caudal body width of E. australis thinned significantly during the initial months of lactation, especially at 60% of body length from the snout, while their calves’ widths and widthto- length ratios increased. The body shape of E. glacialis that had been lactating for 8 mo was significantly thinner than non-lactating, non-pregnant E. glacialis. Body shape of E. glacialis measured in the eighth month of lactation was significantly thinner than that of E. australis in the first month, but did not differ from that of E. australis in the third and fourth months. Body width was comparable with diameter calculated from girth of carcasses. These results indicate that mother right whales rely on endogenous nutrient reserves to support the considerable energy expenditure during the initial months of lactation; therefore, photogrammetric measurements of body width, particularly at 60% of body length from the snout, are an effective way to quantitatively and remotely assess nutritional condition of living right whales.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentMammal Research Instituteen_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianhb2016en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service, the Northeast Consortium, and the Hussey Foundation through the Ocean Life Institute at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.int-res.com/journals/meps/meps-homeen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMiller, CA, Best, PB, Perryman, WL, Baumgartner, MF & Moore, MJ 2012, 'Body shape changes associated with reproductive status, nutrituve condition and growth in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and E. australis', Marine Ecology-Progress Series, vol. 459, pp. 135-156.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0171-8630 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1616-1599 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.3354/meps09675
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/58465
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherInter Researchen_ZA
dc.rights© Inter-Research 2012. This is an open access article.en_ZA
dc.subjectRight whaleen_ZA
dc.subjectBody shapeen_ZA
dc.subjectBody conditionen_ZA
dc.subjectAerial photogrammetryen_ZA
dc.subjectReproductionen_ZA
dc.subjectEnergeticsen_ZA
dc.subjectEubalaenaen_ZA
dc.titleBody shape changes associated with reproductive status, nutrituve condition and growth in right whales Eubalaena glacialis and E. australisen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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