Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution
Predators make foraging decisions based upon sensory information about resource availability, but little is known about how large, air-breathing predators collect and use such information to maximize energy returns when foraging in the deep sea. Here, we used archival tags to study how echolocating...
Published in: | Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/8168 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Sperm-whale-echolocation-behaviour-reveals-a/991005544025807891 |
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ftmurdochunivall:oai:alma.61MUN_INST:11136252150007891 2024-09-15T18:30:30+00:00 Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution Fais, A. Aguilar Soto, N. Johnson, M. Pérez-González, C. Miller, P.J.O. Madsen, P.T. 2015 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/8168 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Sperm-whale-echolocation-behaviour-reveals-a/991005544025807891 eng eng Springer-Verlag ispartof: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology spage 663 epage 674 issue 4 vol 69 doi:10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 WOS:000351235100016 0340-5443 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/8168 991005544025807891 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Sperm-whale-echolocation-behaviour-reveals-a/991005544025807891 alma:61MUN_INST/bibs/991005544025807891 © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. text Article 2015 ftmurdochunivall https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 2024-08-15T00:52:49Z Predators make foraging decisions based upon sensory information about resource availability, but little is known about how large, air-breathing predators collect and use such information to maximize energy returns when foraging in the deep sea. Here, we used archival tags to study how echolocating sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) use their long-range sensory capabilities to guide foraging in a deep-water habitat consisting of multiple, depth-segregated prey layers. Sperm whales employ a directed search behaviour by modulating their overall sonar sampling with the intention to exploit a particular prey layer. They forage opportunistically during some descents while actively adjusting their acoustic gaze to sequentially track different prey layers. While foraging within patches, sperm whales adjust their clicking rate both to search new water volumes as they turn and to match the prey distribution. This strategy increases information flow and suggests that sperm whales can perform auditory stream segregation of multiple targets when echolocating. Such flexibility in sampling tactics in concert with long-range sensing capabilities apparently allow sperm whales to efficiently locate and access prey resources in vast, heterogeneous, deep water habitats. Article in Journal/Newspaper Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale Murdoch University Research Portal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 69 4 663 674 |
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Open Polar |
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Murdoch University Research Portal |
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ftmurdochunivall |
language |
English |
description |
Predators make foraging decisions based upon sensory information about resource availability, but little is known about how large, air-breathing predators collect and use such information to maximize energy returns when foraging in the deep sea. Here, we used archival tags to study how echolocating sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) use their long-range sensory capabilities to guide foraging in a deep-water habitat consisting of multiple, depth-segregated prey layers. Sperm whales employ a directed search behaviour by modulating their overall sonar sampling with the intention to exploit a particular prey layer. They forage opportunistically during some descents while actively adjusting their acoustic gaze to sequentially track different prey layers. While foraging within patches, sperm whales adjust their clicking rate both to search new water volumes as they turn and to match the prey distribution. This strategy increases information flow and suggests that sperm whales can perform auditory stream segregation of multiple targets when echolocating. Such flexibility in sampling tactics in concert with long-range sensing capabilities apparently allow sperm whales to efficiently locate and access prey resources in vast, heterogeneous, deep water habitats. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fais, A. Aguilar Soto, N. Johnson, M. Pérez-González, C. Miller, P.J.O. Madsen, P.T. |
spellingShingle |
Fais, A. Aguilar Soto, N. Johnson, M. Pérez-González, C. Miller, P.J.O. Madsen, P.T. Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
author_facet |
Fais, A. Aguilar Soto, N. Johnson, M. Pérez-González, C. Miller, P.J.O. Madsen, P.T. |
author_sort |
Fais, A. |
title |
Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
title_short |
Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
title_full |
Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
title_fullStr |
Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
title_sort |
sperm whale echolocation behaviour reveals a directed, prior-based search strategy informed by prey distribution |
publisher |
Springer-Verlag |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/8168 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Sperm-whale-echolocation-behaviour-reveals-a/991005544025807891 |
genre |
Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale |
op_relation |
ispartof: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology spage 663 epage 674 issue 4 vol 69 doi:10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 WOS:000351235100016 0340-5443 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/8168 991005544025807891 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Sperm-whale-echolocation-behaviour-reveals-a/991005544025807891 alma:61MUN_INST/bibs/991005544025807891 |
op_rights |
© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1877-1 |
container_title |
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |
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69 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
663 |
op_container_end_page |
674 |
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1810471965719265280 |