Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology
Feeding kinematic studies inform our understanding of behavioral diversity and provide a framework for studying the flexibility and constraints of different prey acquisition strategies. However, little is known about the feeding behaviors used by many marine mammals. We characterized the feeding beh...
Published in: | Journal of Experimental Biology |
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fthighwire:oai:open-archive.highwire.org:jexbio:221/15/jeb179424 2023-05-15T16:06:25+02:00 Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology Kienle, Sarah S. Hermann-Sorensen, Holly Costa, Daniel P. Reichmuth, Colleen Mehta, Rita S. 2018-08-06 00:12:15.0 text/html http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/221/15/jeb179424 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.179424 en eng The Company of Biologists Ltd http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/221/15/jeb179424 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.179424 Copyright (C) 2018, Company of Biologists RESEARCH ARTICLE TEXT 2018 fthighwire https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.179424 2018-12-30T19:27:19Z Feeding kinematic studies inform our understanding of behavioral diversity and provide a framework for studying the flexibility and constraints of different prey acquisition strategies. However, little is known about the feeding behaviors used by many marine mammals. We characterized the feeding behaviors and associated kinematics of captive bearded ( Erignathus barbatus ), harbor ( Phoca vitulina ), ringed ( Pusa hispida ) and spotted ( Phoca largha ) seals through controlled feeding trials. All species primarily used a suction feeding strategy but were also observed using a biting strategy, specifically pierce feeding. Suction feeding was distinct from pierce feeding and was characterized by significantly faster feeding times, smaller gapes and gape angles, smaller gular depressions and fewer jaw motions. Most species showed higher variability in suction feeding performance than in pierce feeding, indicating that suction feeding is a behaviorally flexible strategy. Bearded seals were the only species for which there was strong correspondence between skull and dental morphology and feeding strategy, providing further support for their classification as suction feeding specialists. Harbor, ringed and spotted seals have been classified as pierce feeders based on skull and dental morphologies. Our behavioral and kinematic analyses show that suction feeding is also an important feeding strategy for these species, indicating that skull morphology alone does not capture the true diversity of feeding behaviors used by pinnipeds. The ability of all four species to use more than one feeding strategy is likely advantageous for foraging in spatially and temporally dynamic marine ecosystems that favor opportunistic predators. Text Erignathus barbatus Phoca vitulina Pusa hispida HighWire Press (Stanford University) Journal of Experimental Biology |
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HighWire Press (Stanford University) |
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English |
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RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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RESEARCH ARTICLE Kienle, Sarah S. Hermann-Sorensen, Holly Costa, Daniel P. Reichmuth, Colleen Mehta, Rita S. Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
topic_facet |
RESEARCH ARTICLE |
description |
Feeding kinematic studies inform our understanding of behavioral diversity and provide a framework for studying the flexibility and constraints of different prey acquisition strategies. However, little is known about the feeding behaviors used by many marine mammals. We characterized the feeding behaviors and associated kinematics of captive bearded ( Erignathus barbatus ), harbor ( Phoca vitulina ), ringed ( Pusa hispida ) and spotted ( Phoca largha ) seals through controlled feeding trials. All species primarily used a suction feeding strategy but were also observed using a biting strategy, specifically pierce feeding. Suction feeding was distinct from pierce feeding and was characterized by significantly faster feeding times, smaller gapes and gape angles, smaller gular depressions and fewer jaw motions. Most species showed higher variability in suction feeding performance than in pierce feeding, indicating that suction feeding is a behaviorally flexible strategy. Bearded seals were the only species for which there was strong correspondence between skull and dental morphology and feeding strategy, providing further support for their classification as suction feeding specialists. Harbor, ringed and spotted seals have been classified as pierce feeders based on skull and dental morphologies. Our behavioral and kinematic analyses show that suction feeding is also an important feeding strategy for these species, indicating that skull morphology alone does not capture the true diversity of feeding behaviors used by pinnipeds. The ability of all four species to use more than one feeding strategy is likely advantageous for foraging in spatially and temporally dynamic marine ecosystems that favor opportunistic predators. |
format |
Text |
author |
Kienle, Sarah S. Hermann-Sorensen, Holly Costa, Daniel P. Reichmuth, Colleen Mehta, Rita S. |
author_facet |
Kienle, Sarah S. Hermann-Sorensen, Holly Costa, Daniel P. Reichmuth, Colleen Mehta, Rita S. |
author_sort |
Kienle, Sarah S. |
title |
Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
title_short |
Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
title_full |
Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
title_fullStr |
Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
title_full_unstemmed |
Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
title_sort |
comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology |
publisher |
The Company of Biologists Ltd |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/221/15/jeb179424 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.179424 |
genre |
Erignathus barbatus Phoca vitulina Pusa hispida |
genre_facet |
Erignathus barbatus Phoca vitulina Pusa hispida |
op_relation |
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/221/15/jeb179424 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.179424 |
op_rights |
Copyright (C) 2018, Company of Biologists |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.179424 |
container_title |
Journal of Experimental Biology |
_version_ |
1766402311841644544 |