Entanglement in recreational fishing gear poses a threat to estuarine and coastal dolphins: Animal welfare and population level impacts should guide intervention decision making

Nicholson, Krista

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115094

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 36 publications

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“…The severing of the caudal region, including the vertebrae, indicates considerable force. To our knowledge, there are no direct observations of small cetaceans being amputated, including the bones, in a single contact and short time period (e.g., Nicholson, 2023 ; Slooten et al., 2013 ; Wells et al., 2008 ). Taken together, natural predators such as killer whales and sharks, rather than artificial or diseased factors, likely were responsible.…”

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confidence: 99%

A shortfin mako shark circling a finless porpoise with damaged caudal fin

Okamura,

Tokunaga,

Ogawa

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Research on predator–prey interactions between sharks and cetaceans remain limited. Here, we report on a video of a shortfin mako shark circling a finless porpoise with a damaged caudal fin in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. The finless porpoise was neither emaciated nor inactive, but unable to swim effectively due to the complete lack of a caudal fin. Some circumstantial evidence, including a bite mark on the porpoise's head, strongly suggests that the mako shark attacked it. Furthermore, the possible time difference between the two injuries the porpoise sustained may reflect the shark's hunting tactics. While mako sharks primarily feed on small fish and cephalopods, this observation suggests they also may prey on live cetaceans more often than previously thought.

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confidence: 99%