Physiological responses to capture and handling of free-ranging male Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis)

Stress response of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) during capture–release health assessment studies

“…Among the catecholamines, NOR concentrations were the highest in both CHS (757.4) and IRL (393.5 pg/mL) dolphins. These levels are similar to the mean NOR values found in wild spotted dolphins (S. attenuata) (825.5 pg/mL) (St. Aubin et al, 2013) and in captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) (393.5 pg/mL) (Hao et al, 2009). The mean concentrations of EPI and DA in captured spotted dolphins found by St.…”

“…Elevated cortisol concentrations can occur in marine mammals in distress such as reported during strandings of pilot whales (Globicephala melas) with 16 lg/dL (Geraci and St. Aubin, 1987) and 18 lg/dL in striped dolphins (S. coeruleoalba) (Gales, 1992). Compared to the bottlenose dolphins in our study, Yantze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) captured in the wild had slightly lower mean cortisol levels in both summer (1.9 lg/dL) and winter (1.5 lg/mL) (Hao et al, 2009). However, ALD levels were higher in Yantze dolphins during both seasons (summer 220 pg/mL; winter 120 pg/mL) compared to bottlenose dolphins in our study (Table 1; IRL 92 pg/mL; CHS 63 pg/mL) in our study.…”

Circulating and Excreted Corticosteroids and Metabolites, Hematological, and Serum Chemistry Parameters in the Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Before and After a Stress Response

“…This response is expected and part of the classic stress response described in other species whereby glucose concentrations increase in direct response to acute GC activity (Munck et al, 1984;Tataranni et al, 1996). Similar increases were observed in the beluga and Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) during capture-release studies (St. Aubin and Geraci, 1996;Hao et al, 2009). Interestingly, no relationship was found between glucose and cortisol concentrations during capture release studies in the bottlenose dolphin (Thomson and Geraci, 1986;Ortiz and Worthy, 2000), and glucose remained unchanged after an exogenous administration of dexamethasone for a cortisol suppression test, although the authors of the latter study suggested a hyperglycemic event may have been missed due to an inadequate sample collection frequency (Reidarson and McBain, 1999).…”

Immune Responses of the Critically Endangered Yangtze Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis ssp. asiaeorientalis) to Escalating Anthropogenic Stressors in the Wild and Seminatural Environments

“…It is in Shishou city, Hubei Province on the north bank of the Yangtze River at E112 • 31 -112 • 36 , N29 • 46 -29 • 51 . The total length of the reserve is 21 km with a width of 1-2 km (Hao et al, 2009;Wang, 2013). Both in the TZO and the Yangtze River, ecological and environmental conditions are identical (Wang, 2015) except for apparently higher water pollution in the TZO from nearby farmland drainage (Nabi et al, 2017a).…”

“…A detailed summary of the capture method is described by Hao et al (2009). During blood sampling, a 10 ml disposable syringe (Gemtier, G/Ø/L: 21/0.7/31 mm, 201502, Shanghai, China) was used to collect approximately 10 ml of blood aseptically from the main vein of the tail within 15 min after the capture.…”