Individual and geographical variation in pigmentation patterns of the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena (L.)

Photographs of 393 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena (L.)) from the waters of Denmark (n = 224), Japan (n = 19), and Canada (Bay of Fundy (n = 95), Gulf of St. Lawrence (n = 40), and coast of British Columbia (n = 15)) were analyzed for variation in pigmentation patterns. Animals were classified...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: Koopman, H. N., Gaskin, D. E.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1994
Subjects:
Animal Science and Zoology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Canada
British Columbia
Canada Bay
Harbour porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z94-017
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z94-017
Description
Summary:Photographs of 393 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena (L.)) from the waters of Denmark (n = 224), Japan (n = 19), and Canada (Bay of Fundy (n = 95), Gulf of St. Lawrence (n = 40), and coast of British Columbia (n = 15)) were analyzed for variation in pigmentation patterns. Animals were classified according to morphs of each of 12 pigmentation characters. Patterns were not unique to particular areas and cannot be used as a tool for absolute discrimination among geographically isolated groups of porpoises. However, statistical frequencies of certain morphs of seven characters varied significantly among the five geographical groups, matching some of the subpopulations proposed by Gaskin in 1984. Pigmentation patterns of harbour porpoises were unique to each animal and were not gender dependent. Variation in pigmentation patterns may have implications for intra-individual recognition. All porpoises showed bilaterally asymmetrical pigmentation, providing a new record of consistent asymmetry in an odontocete species.

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