Consumption of pelagic tunicates by cetaceans calves in the Mediterranean Sea

• Published in: Mediterranean Marine Science
• Main Authors: Fraija-Fernández, Natalia, Ramos-Esplá, Alfonso A., Raduán, María Ángeles, Blanco, Carmen, Raga, Juan Antonio, Aznar, Francisco Javier
• Other Authors: Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Biología Marina
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) 2018
• Subjects: Pelagic tunicates; Stomach content; Suction feeding; Juvenile cetacean; Common minke whale; Risso’s dolphin; Pyrosoma; Salpa; Zoología; minke whale
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/77953; https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.15890

Gelatinous zooplankton, including jellyfish, ctenophores and pelagic tunicates, constitutes fragile marine animals that live in the water column, and represent an important resource for marine food webs through their seasonal pulses. Although there is scarce evidence on the occurrence of gelatinous zooplankton in stomach contents of apex, endothermic predators such as cetaceans, the ecological significance of such observations requires consideration. In this study, we report on the occurrence of pelagic tunicates in the stomach of three individual calves of two cetacean species from the western Mediterranean, and collate all previous reports of gelatinous zooplankton in cetacean diets. We then briefly discuss the possible dietary significance of these observations. This study was financially supported by projects CGL/2012/39545 and AGL2015/68405/R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and PROMETEO II/2015/018 (Generalitat Valenciana, Spain).