Apparent Lateralized Behavior in Gray Whales Feeding Off the Central British Columbia Coast

Woodward, Becky L.; Winn, Jeremy P.

doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00006.x

Cited by 49 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Nevertheless, Crittercam data show the expansion of ventral pleats, indicating that higher speed is not needed to gain expansion and, presumably, the intake of water and prey. In this way BSR feeding might be similar to that reported for gray whales which also feed by side rolling along the bottom (Kasuya and Rice , Woodward and Winn ) and where direct observations have shown the intake of prey by suction (Ray and Schevill ). However, it may also be the case that the volume of water engulfed is less than occurs with the energetic lunges documented in Antarctica and off the California coast.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Bottom side‐roll feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine, U.S.A

Ware

Wiley

Friedlaender

et al. 2013

Marine Mammal Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known for the variety and complexity of their feeding behaviors. Here we report on the use of synchronous motion and acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) to provide the first detailed kinematic descriptions of humpback whales using bottom side‐rolls (BSRs) to feed along the seafloor. We recorded 3,505 events from 19 animals (individual range 8–722). By animal, mean BSR duration ranged from 14.1 s to 36.2 s.; mean body roll angle from 80º to 121º, and mean pitch from 7º to 38º. The median interval between sequential BSRs, by animal, ranged from 24.0 s to 63.6 s and animals tended to maintain a consistent BSR heading during long BSR series encompassing multiple dives. BSRs were most frequent between 2200 and 0400. We identify three classes of behavior: simple side‐roll, side‐roll inversion, and repetitive scooping. Results indicate that BSR feeding is a common technique in the study area and there is both coordination and noncoordination between animals. We argue that this behavior is not lunge feeding as normally characterized, because animals are moving slowly through the event. The behavior also leads to vulnerability to entanglement in bottom‐set fishing gear, a major mortality factor for the species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Bottom side‐roll feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine, U.S.A

Ware

Wiley

Friedlaender

et al. 2013

Marine Mammal Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The DTAG (Johnson & Tyack 2003) is a small, lightweight, pressure tolerant and waterproof tag non-invasively placed on a whale using a carbon-fiber pole and attached via 4 silicon suction cups. These tags have successfully been deployed on a number of baleen and toothed whales (Nowacek et al 2004, Woodward & Winn 2006. The DTAG is equipped with a pressure sensor and 3-axis magnetometer and accelerometers that measure depth, heading, pitch, and roll, 5 times s -1 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diel changes in humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae feeding behavior in response to sand lance Ammodytes spp. behavior and distribution

Friedlaender¹,

Hazen²,

Nowacek³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

113

107

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae have adopted unique feeding strategies to take advantage of behavioral changes in their prey. However, logistical constraints have largely limited ecological analyses of these interactions. Our objectives were to (1) link humpback whale feeding behaviors to concurrent measurements of prey using scientific echo-sounders, and (2) quantify how sand lance behavior influences the feeding behaviors and foraging ecology of humpback whales. To measure, in fine detail, the 3-dimensional orientation and movement patterns of humpback whales underwater, we used a multi-sensor tag attached via suction cups (DTAG). We tested the specific hypothesis that the diel movement patterns of sand lance between bottom substrate and the water column correlates to changes between surface and bottom feeding strategies of humpback whales on Stellwagen Bank, MA. We collected over 96 h of both day-and nighttime data from 15 whales in 2006, and recorded 393 surface and 230 bottom feeding events. Individual whales exhibit both surface and bottom feeding behaviors, switching from one to the other in relation to changing light and prey conditions. Surface feeding behaviors were individually variable in their constitution but ubiquitously biased towards daylight hours, when prey was most abundant in the upper portion of the water column. Bottom feeding behavior occurred largely at night, coincident with when sand lance descend to seek refuge in the substrate. Our data provide novel insights into the behavioral ecology of humpback whales and their prey, indicating significant diel patterns in foraging behaviors concurrent with changes in prey behavior.

show abstract

“…Nearly 5,800 images were obtained and closely examined for this study, which is the first to document distinct wear patterns in baleen. Indeed, this paper represents to the best of our knowledge the first contribution to even consider wearing as a regular process in baleen, although Kasuya and Rice () mentioned asymmetrical abrasion of baleen racks by sediments in gray whales and Rice and Wolman () later referred to this asymmetrical abrasive wear caused by lateralized foraging in gray whales (Woodward and Winn, ). Although lateralized feeding has also been documented in humpback whales foraging at all levels of the water column including the sea floor (Hain et al, ; Canning et al, ), there are no published reports of asymmetrical wearing of humpback whale baleen, nor did our study find any such asymmetry.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Baleen wear reveals intraoral water flow patterns of mysticete filter feeding

Werth

Straley

Shadwick

2016

Journal of Morphology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A survey of macroscopic and microscopic wear patterns in the baleen of eight whale species (Cetacea: Mysticeti) discloses structural, functional, and life history properties of this neomorphic keratinous tissue, including evidence of intraoral water flow patterns involved in filter feeding. All baleen demonstrates wear, particularly on its medial and ventral edges, as flat outer layers of cortical keratin erode to reveal horn tubes, also of keratin, which emerge as hair-like fringes. This study quantified five additional categories of specific wear: pitting of plates, scratching of plates, scuffing of fringes, shortening of fringes, and reorientation of fringes (including fringes directed between plates to the exterior of the mouth). Blue whale baleen showed the most pitting and sei whale baleen the most scratching; gray whale baleen had the most fringe wear. The location of worn baleen within the mouth suggests that direct contact with the tongue is not responsible for most wear, and that flowing water as well as abrasive prey or sediment carried by the flowing water likely causes pitting and scratching of plates as well as fringe fraying, scuffing, shortening, and reorientation. Baleen also has elevated vertical and horizontal ridges that are unrelated to wear; these are probably related to growth and may allow for age determination.

show abstract

Apparent Lateralized Behavior in Gray Whales Feeding Off the Central British Columbia Coast

Cited by 49 publications

References 23 publications

Bottom side‐roll feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine, U.S.A

Bottom side‐roll feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine, U.S.A

Diel changes in humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae feeding behavior in response to sand lance Ammodytes spp. behavior and distribution

Baleen wear reveals intraoral water flow patterns of mysticete filter feeding

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About