Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation?
Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) invest substantial amounts of energy in their calves, while facing the risk of having them predated upon by eavesdropping killer whales (Orcinus orca). We tested the hypothesis that southern right whale mother–calf pairs employ acoustic crypsis to reduce a...
Published in: | Journal of Experimental Biology |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Acoustic-crypsis-in-southern-right-whale/991005540834307891 |
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ftmurdochunivall:oai:alma.61MUN_INST:11135282220007891 2024-09-15T17:57:28+00:00 Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? Nielsen, ML.K. Bejder, L. Videsen, S.K.A. Christiansen, F. Madsen, P.T. 2019 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Acoustic-crypsis-in-southern-right-whale/991005540834307891 eng eng Company of Biologists ispartof: The Journal of Experimental Biology issue 13 vol 222 doi:10.1242/jeb.190728 WOS:000475480100001 0022-0949 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 991005540834307891 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Acoustic-crypsis-in-southern-right-whale/991005540834307891 alma:61MUN_INST/bibs/991005540834307891 © 2019 The Company of Biologists Ltd text Article 2019 ftmurdochunivall https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 2024-08-15T00:52:49Z Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) invest substantial amounts of energy in their calves, while facing the risk of having them predated upon by eavesdropping killer whales (Orcinus orca). We tested the hypothesis that southern right whale mother–calf pairs employ acoustic crypsis to reduce acoustic detectability by such predators. Specifically, we deployed multi-sensor DTAGs on nine lactating whales for a total of 62.9 h in a Western Australian breeding ground, and used a SoundTrap to estimate the concomitant acoustic background noise. Vocalisations were recorded at low rates of <10 calls h−1 (1 call per dive) and at low received levels between 123±8 and 134±10 dB re. 1 µPa RMS depending on call type. We conclude that such acoustic crypsis in southern right whales and other baleen whales decreases the risk of alerting potential predators and hence jeopardizing a substantial energetic investment by the mother. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whales Orca Orcinus orca Southern Right Whale Murdoch University Research Portal Journal of Experimental Biology 222 13 |
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Open Polar |
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Murdoch University Research Portal |
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ftmurdochunivall |
language |
English |
description |
Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) invest substantial amounts of energy in their calves, while facing the risk of having them predated upon by eavesdropping killer whales (Orcinus orca). We tested the hypothesis that southern right whale mother–calf pairs employ acoustic crypsis to reduce acoustic detectability by such predators. Specifically, we deployed multi-sensor DTAGs on nine lactating whales for a total of 62.9 h in a Western Australian breeding ground, and used a SoundTrap to estimate the concomitant acoustic background noise. Vocalisations were recorded at low rates of <10 calls h−1 (1 call per dive) and at low received levels between 123±8 and 134±10 dB re. 1 µPa RMS depending on call type. We conclude that such acoustic crypsis in southern right whales and other baleen whales decreases the risk of alerting potential predators and hence jeopardizing a substantial energetic investment by the mother. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nielsen, ML.K. Bejder, L. Videsen, S.K.A. Christiansen, F. Madsen, P.T. |
spellingShingle |
Nielsen, ML.K. Bejder, L. Videsen, S.K.A. Christiansen, F. Madsen, P.T. Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
author_facet |
Nielsen, ML.K. Bejder, L. Videsen, S.K.A. Christiansen, F. Madsen, P.T. |
author_sort |
Nielsen, ML.K. |
title |
Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
title_short |
Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
title_full |
Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
title_fullStr |
Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
title_sort |
acoustic crypsis in southern right whale mother–calf pairs: infrequent, low-output calls to avoid predation? |
publisher |
Company of Biologists |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Acoustic-crypsis-in-southern-right-whale/991005540834307891 |
genre |
baleen whales Orca Orcinus orca Southern Right Whale |
genre_facet |
baleen whales Orca Orcinus orca Southern Right Whale |
op_relation |
ispartof: The Journal of Experimental Biology issue 13 vol 222 doi:10.1242/jeb.190728 WOS:000475480100001 0022-0949 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 991005540834307891 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Acoustic-crypsis-in-southern-right-whale/991005540834307891 alma:61MUN_INST/bibs/991005540834307891 |
op_rights |
© 2019 The Company of Biologists Ltd |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.190728 |
container_title |
Journal of Experimental Biology |
container_volume |
222 |
container_issue |
13 |
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1810433614739931136 |