Vertebral column deformities in white-beaked dolphins from the eastern North Atlantic

Five white-beaked dolphins Lagenorhynchus albirostris with outwardly vertebral kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis or lordosis were identified during a photo-identification survey of over 400 individuals (2002-2013) in Faxafloi and Skjalfandi Bays, Iceland. In addition, 3 stranding reports from Denmark, The Ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
Main Authors: Bertulli, Chiara G., Galatius, Anders, Kinze, Carl C., Rasmussen, Marianne H., Deaville, Rob, Jepson, Paul, Vedder, Elisabeth J., Contreras, Guillermo J. Sanchez, Sabin, Richard C., Watson, Alastair
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Vertebral column deformity
Kyphosis
Kyphoscoliosis
Lordosis
White-beaked dolphin
Lagenorhynchus albirostris
BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS
PHYSICAL DEFORMITIES
TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS
SKIN-LESIONS
REPRODUCTION
ALBIROSTRIS
INJURIES
SURVIVAL
WATERS
SCARS
Iceland
North Atlantic
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/vertebral-column-deformities-in-whitebeaked-dolphins-from-the-eastern-north-atlantic(fa3b7e00-bc68-44c1-9ab5-dff429c44b1c).html
https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02904
Description
Summary:Five white-beaked dolphins Lagenorhynchus albirostris with outwardly vertebral kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis or lordosis were identified during a photo-identification survey of over 400 individuals (2002-2013) in Faxafloi and Skjalfandi Bays, Iceland. In addition, 3 stranding reports from Denmark, The Netherlands and the UK were analysed, providing both external observation and post mortem details of axial deviations of the vertebral column in this species. Two of the free-ranging cases and 2 of the stranded specimens appeared to have an acquired disease, either as a direct result of trauma, or indirectly from trauma/wound and subsequent infection and bony proliferation, although we were unable to specifically identify the causes. Our data represent a starting point to understand vertebral column deformations and their implications in white-beaked dolphins from the eastern North Atlantic. We recommend for future necropsy cases to conduct macro- and microscopic evaluation of muscle from both sides of the deformed region, in order to assess chronic or acute conditions related to the vertebral deformations and cause of death.

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