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Diet of the social groups of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the Strait of Gibraltar

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Abstract

The Strait of Gibraltar is inhabited throughout the year by a group of pilot whales (Globicephala melas), but their spatial distribution varies between Summer and Autumn. In this paper, we have used carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) stable isotope signatures to investigate the differences in diet amongst seasons, sex and stable social units. Skin samples were collected from 56 individually photo-identified pilot whales during Autumn 2005 and Summer 2006. These individuals were genetically sexed and their isotopic signature determined. The level of inter-individual association both within and between stable social units were compared to Euclidean distances between individual isotopes signatures. No differences in either δ15N or δ13C were found according to the sex of individuals, but significant seasonal differences were found in δ15N, although not in the δ13C values. This suggests that pilot whales are resident year round in the Strait, a finding supported by independent photo-identification. The variation in δ15N could reflect a shift in pilot whale diet through the year, with pilot whales feeding at a higher trophic level in Autumn compared to Summer. This could also represent a change in the diet of pilot whale prey species. The δ13C values were significantly different amongst the four stable social units sampled and individual δ13C values were significantly related to the level of inter-individual association, while no relationship was found for δ15N. These results suggest that within the same general area (i.e. the Strait of Gibraltar), there is some level of specialisation in habitat or prey choice between pilot whales social units.

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Acknowledgments

This project has been financed and subsidised by the General Direction for Biodiversity of the Spanish Ministry of Environment, the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain), the Foundation Loro Parque, the Fundación Biodiversidad, and the Nature Life Project LIFE02NAT/E/8610 “Conservation of cetaceans and turtles in Murcia and Andalusia” coordinated by the Sociedad Española de Cetáceos. The genetic analysis was supported by grants from the CNRS, the Ministère de la Recherche Scientifique, and La Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale/Fondation BNP-Paribas (to L.M.-S.). This work would not have been possible without the help of N. Seller Fernandez, J. Salazar Sierra, Z. Munilla, Y. Yaget, J. de la Fuente and D. Alarcon from CIRCE, and A. Baltanas, R. Redondo, V. Peiró and F José Caballero, from the Autonomous University of Madrid, and all the Whale watching platforms from the Strait of Gibraltar, WW España, Turmares SL, Aventura Marina and Firmm. This research was conducted using software Logger 2000 developed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to promote benign and non-invasive research. Thanks are due also to A. Foote for the comments and the review of the English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIRCE, Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans, C/ Cabeza de Manzaneda 3, Algeciras-Pelayo, 11390, Cadiz, Spain

    R. de Stephanis, P. Verborgh, R. Esteban-Pavo & S. Pérez

  2. Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UPR 1934, 79 360, Villiers en Bois, France

    P. Verborgh & C. Guinet

  3. Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    S. García-Tíscar

  4. Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, CNRS, 1, rue Camille Saint Saëns, 33077, Bordeaux Cedex, France

    L. Minvielle-Sebastia

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  1. R. de Stephanis
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  3. P. Verborgh
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  4. R. Esteban-Pavo
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  6. L. Minvielle-Sebastia
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Correspondence to R. de Stephanis.

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Communicated by R. Lewison.

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de Stephanis, R., García-Tíscar, S., Verborgh, P. et al. Diet of the social groups of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the Strait of Gibraltar. Mar Biol 154, 603–612 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0953-8

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