Prey preferences among the community of deep-diving odontocetes from the Bay of Biscay, Northeast Atlantic

• Published in: Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
• Main Authors: Spitz, Jérôme, Cherel, Yves, Bertin, Stéphane, Kiszka, Jeremy, Dewez, Alexandre, Ridoux, Vincent
• Other Authors: LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMRi 7266 (LIENSs), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre d'études biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: hist; anthro-se; Mesoplodon bidens; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.12.009; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00573185

International audience Long-finnedpilotwhales(Globicephalamelas),Risso'sdolphins(Grampusgriseus), melon-headedwhales (Peponocephalaelectra),Cuvier'sbeakedwhales(Ziphiuscavirostris), Sowerby'sbeakedwhales(Mesoplodon bidens), northernbottlenosewhales(Hyperoodonampullatus), spermwhales(Physetermacrocephalus), dwarf spermwhales(Kogiasima) andpygmyspermwhales(Kogiabreviceps) makeupthelarge communityofdeep-divingodontocetesoccurringofftheBayofBiscay,northeastAtlantic.Theecology of thesetoothedcetaceansispoorlydocumentedworldwide.Thepresentstudydescribedtheirprey preferencesfromstomachcontentanalysisandshowedresourcepartitioningwithintheassemblage. The majorityofthespeciesappearedtobemostlyteutophageous.Fishwasanimportantfoodsource only fortheSowerby'sbeakedwhaleand,toalesserextent,forthelong-finnedpilotwhale.Intermsof foraginghabitatsinferredfrompreycomposition,eitherpelagicoceanicordemersalneritichabitats were exploitedbytoothedwhalesintheBayofBiscay,withonlythelong-finnedpilotwhaleforagingin the twohabitats.Finally,withmorethan14,000identifiedcephalopodsfrom39species,thepresent studyhighlightedalsothepoorlyknowndeep-seacephalopodcommunityofftheBayofBiscayusing top predatorsasbiologicalsamplers.