Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System
Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) generally undertake annual migrations from polar summer feeding grounds to winter calving and nursery grounds in subtropical and tropical coastal waters. Evidence for such migrations arises from seasonality of historic whaling catches by l...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59670 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 |
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ftunivpretoria:oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/59670 2023-05-15T14:05:19+02:00 Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System Findlay, Kenneth Pierce Seakamela, S. Mduduzi Meyer, Michael A. Kirkman, Stephen P. Barendse, Jaco Cade, David E. Hurwitz, David Kennedy, Amy S. Kotze, Pieter G.H. McCue, Steven A. Thornton, Meredith Vargas-Fonseca, O. Alejandra Wilke, Christopher G. 2017-03-01 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59670 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 en eng Public Library of Science http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59670 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. PDM CC0 Feeding Latitude Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Migration Benguela Upwelling System Article 2017 ftunivpretoria https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 2022-06-28T00:16:00Z Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) generally undertake annual migrations from polar summer feeding grounds to winter calving and nursery grounds in subtropical and tropical coastal waters. Evidence for such migrations arises from seasonality of historic whaling catches by latitude, Discovery and natural mark returns, and results of satellite tagging studies. Feeding is generally believed to be limited to the southern polar region, where Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has been identified as the primary prey item. Non-migrations and / or suspended migrations to the polar feeding grounds have previously been reported from a summer presence of whales in the Benguela System, where feeding on euphausiids (E. lucens), hyperiid amphipods (Themisto gaudichaudii), mantis shrimp (Pterygosquilla armata capensis) and clupeid fish has been described. Three recent research cruises (in October/November 2011, October/November 2014 and October/November 2015) identified large tightly-spaced groups (20 to 200 individuals) of feeding humpback whales aggregated over at least a one-month period across a 220 nautical mile region of the southern Benguela System. Feeding behaviour was identified by lunges, strong milling and repetitive and consecutive diving behaviours, associated bird and seal feeding, defecations and the pungent ªfishyº smell of whale blows. Although no dedicated prey sampling could be carried out within the tightly spaced feeding aggregations, observations of E. lucens in the region of groups and the full stomach contents of mantis shrimp from both a co-occurring predatory fish species (Thyrsites atun) and one entangled humpback whale mortality suggest these may be the primary prey items of at least some of the feeding aggregations. Reasons for this recent novel behaviour pattern remain speculative, but may relate to increasing summer humpback whale abundance in the region. These novel, predictable, inter-annual, low latitude feeding events provide considerable potential for further ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae University of Pretoria: UPSpace Antarctic PLOS ONE 12 3 e0172002 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Pretoria: UPSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivpretoria |
language |
English |
topic |
Feeding Latitude Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Migration Benguela Upwelling System |
spellingShingle |
Feeding Latitude Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Migration Benguela Upwelling System Findlay, Kenneth Pierce Seakamela, S. Mduduzi Meyer, Michael A. Kirkman, Stephen P. Barendse, Jaco Cade, David E. Hurwitz, David Kennedy, Amy S. Kotze, Pieter G.H. McCue, Steven A. Thornton, Meredith Vargas-Fonseca, O. Alejandra Wilke, Christopher G. Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System |
topic_facet |
Feeding Latitude Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Migration Benguela Upwelling System |
description |
Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) generally undertake annual migrations from polar summer feeding grounds to winter calving and nursery grounds in subtropical and tropical coastal waters. Evidence for such migrations arises from seasonality of historic whaling catches by latitude, Discovery and natural mark returns, and results of satellite tagging studies. Feeding is generally believed to be limited to the southern polar region, where Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has been identified as the primary prey item. Non-migrations and / or suspended migrations to the polar feeding grounds have previously been reported from a summer presence of whales in the Benguela System, where feeding on euphausiids (E. lucens), hyperiid amphipods (Themisto gaudichaudii), mantis shrimp (Pterygosquilla armata capensis) and clupeid fish has been described. Three recent research cruises (in October/November 2011, October/November 2014 and October/November 2015) identified large tightly-spaced groups (20 to 200 individuals) of feeding humpback whales aggregated over at least a one-month period across a 220 nautical mile region of the southern Benguela System. Feeding behaviour was identified by lunges, strong milling and repetitive and consecutive diving behaviours, associated bird and seal feeding, defecations and the pungent ªfishyº smell of whale blows. Although no dedicated prey sampling could be carried out within the tightly spaced feeding aggregations, observations of E. lucens in the region of groups and the full stomach contents of mantis shrimp from both a co-occurring predatory fish species (Thyrsites atun) and one entangled humpback whale mortality suggest these may be the primary prey items of at least some of the feeding aggregations. Reasons for this recent novel behaviour pattern remain speculative, but may relate to increasing summer humpback whale abundance in the region. These novel, predictable, inter-annual, low latitude feeding events provide considerable potential for further ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Findlay, Kenneth Pierce Seakamela, S. Mduduzi Meyer, Michael A. Kirkman, Stephen P. Barendse, Jaco Cade, David E. Hurwitz, David Kennedy, Amy S. Kotze, Pieter G.H. McCue, Steven A. Thornton, Meredith Vargas-Fonseca, O. Alejandra Wilke, Christopher G. |
author_facet |
Findlay, Kenneth Pierce Seakamela, S. Mduduzi Meyer, Michael A. Kirkman, Stephen P. Barendse, Jaco Cade, David E. Hurwitz, David Kennedy, Amy S. Kotze, Pieter G.H. McCue, Steven A. Thornton, Meredith Vargas-Fonseca, O. Alejandra Wilke, Christopher G. |
author_sort |
Findlay, Kenneth Pierce |
title |
Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System |
title_short |
Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System |
title_full |
Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System |
title_fullStr |
Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System |
title_full_unstemmed |
Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System |
title_sort |
humpback whale "super-groups" - a novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of southern hemisphere humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) in the benguela upwelling system |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59670 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59670 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 |
op_rights |
This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. |
op_rightsnorm |
PDM CC0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172002 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
e0172002 |
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1766277129559867392 |