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Correlation between the seasonal distribution of harbour porpoises and their prey in the Sound, Baltic Sea

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Abstract

Low densities of harbour porpoises in winter (November–March) and high densities in summer (April–October) were found in the Sound, connecting the Baltic Sea and Kattegat. Due to their high energy requirements, it is hypothesized that the density of harbour porpoises is related to local prey abundance. This was tested by examining the stomach content of 53 harbour porpoises collected between 1987 and 2010 in the Sound (high season, 34 porpoises; low season, 19 porpoises). A total of 1,442 individual fish specimens from thirteen species were identified. Twelve of these were present in the high–porpoise density season and seven in the low-density season. The distribution of occurrence and the distribution of number of fish species were different between seasons, indicating a shift in prey intake between seasons. Furthermore, during the high-density season, the mean and total prey weight per stomach as well as the prey species diversity was higher. However, no difference was found in the number of prey species between the two seasons, indicating a higher quality of prey in the high-density season. Atlantic cod was found to be the main prey species in terms of weight in the high-density season while Atlantic herring and Atlantic cod were equally important during the low-density season. Prey availability and predictability are suggested as the main drivers for harbour porpoise distribution, and this could be caused by the formation of frontal zones in spring in the northern part of the Sound, leading to prey concentrations in predictable areas.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank everyone who participated in the collection and dissection of the harbour porpoises examined in this study, especially Susi Edrén, Kristian Vedel and Tenna Rasmussen. Of the fifty-three harbour porpoises, eighteen were collected by I. Lindstedt (Natur-historiska Museum, Göteborg) and C.C. Kinze (Zoological Museum, Copenhagen) from 1987 to 1989 and stomach content was analysed by H. Aarefjord (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo) (7 bycaught, 11 unknown, i.e. bycaught or stranded), 17 were collected and analysed by H. Andreasen (DTU Aqua) from 1989 to 2000 (14 bycaught, 3 stranded) and 18 were collected in 2009–2010 by J.P. Pedersen (The Øresund Aquarium) and analysed by H. Andreasen and S. Sveegaard (18 bycaught, 1 stranded). We are grateful to Ingalill Lindstedt and Hilde Aarefjord for giving access to the porpoise samples collected in the Sound and to the fishermen for collecting and handing over the bycaught harbour porpoises. Finally, thanks to the anonymous reviewers whose detailed comments and suggestions significantly improved this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Signe Sveegaard & Jonas Teilmann

  2. DTU Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Charlottenlund Slot, Jægersborg Allé 1, 2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark

    Heidi Andreasen

  3. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Kim N. Mouritsen

  4. The Øresund Aquarium, Copenhagen University, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000, Helsingør, Denmark

    Jens Peder Jeppesen

  5. CCKonsult, Rosenørns Allé 55 2. tv., 1970, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Carl C. Kinze

  6. Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Werftstr. 6, 25761, Büsum, Germany

    Heidi Andreasen

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  1. Signe Sveegaard
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  2. Heidi Andreasen
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  4. Jens Peder Jeppesen
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  5. Jonas Teilmann
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  6. Carl C. Kinze
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Correspondence to Signe Sveegaard.

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Communicated by U. Siebert.

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Sveegaard, S., Andreasen, H., Mouritsen, K.N. et al. Correlation between the seasonal distribution of harbour porpoises and their prey in the Sound, Baltic Sea. Mar Biol 159, 1029–1037 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1883-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1883-z

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