Do dolphins really have a rightward lateralization for action? The importance of behavior-specific and orientation-neutral coding

Cooperative feeding and foraging lateralization by Eden's whales off southern China

“…There is also debate about whether right‐biased feeding lateralization among whales has primarily a motor (“handedness”) versus sensory (“eyedness”) function. Karenina et al (2016) argued that feeding lateralization in cetaceans is used for prey perception and therefore, sensory; and Jaakkola et al (2021) also concluded that “right side‐down bias commonly reported in cetaceans might be better characterized as a right‐eye bias for tracking prey.” A recent study on blue whales seems to support this conclusion: although blue whales show a strong right‐side bias when lateral lunging at the surface (Kot et al, 2014; Tershy & Wiley, 1992), instrumented individuals foraging at depths of <70 m (but not at the surface) consistently rolled on their left sides when lunging, and whales foraging >70 m reverted to right lunging (Friedlaender et al, 2017). Although motor lateralization (i.e., the roll direction) varied with depth, sensory lateralization remained constant, such that whales were consistently able to view their prey with their right eye, either by rolling to the right and looking down when surface‐lunging, or by rolling left and looking up when foraging at intermediate depths.…”

Short Communication: Lateralised lungefeeding behaviour in Southern Hemisphere fin whales at Antarctic feeding grounds

“…The most pronounced lateral biases in cetaceans are exhibited during various foraging activities. These have been shown through direct behavioural observations and DTAG (Digital Acoustic Recording Tag) measurements (Jaakkola et al, 2020;Woodward & Winn, 2006), but are also evident through indirect feeding-related physical damage, such as jaw scuffing (Swingle et al, 1993) and baleen wear (Kasuya & Rice, 1970). The observed foraging strategies which demonstrate a strong rightward lateralisation of around 90% range from beach feeding of Tursiops truncates (bottlenose dolphins; Silber & Fertl, 1995), feeding dives of Megaptera novaeangliae (humpback whales; Clapham et al, 1995;Canning et al, 2011) and Eschrichtius robustus (grey whales; Woodward & Winn, 2006) to surface lunge-feeding of several rorqual species belonging to the genus Balaenoptera, including B. edeni (Eden's whales; Chen et al, 2023), B. musculus (blue whales;Friedlaender et al, 2017;Friedlaender, 2022), B. borealis (sei whales; Tershy & Wiley, 1992), B. brydei (Bryde's whales; Tershy & Wiley, 1992) and B. physalus (fin whales; Tershy & Wiley, 1992).…”