Status and Aspects of the Life History of the Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in Florida

1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1055-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel K. Odell
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
National Park ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Everglades National Park ◽  
History Of

Aerial censuses in waters of the Everglades National Park, Florida every 1–2 mo between September 1973 and August 1974 resulted in sightings of a minimum of five, a maximum of 79, bottlenose dolphins. Seasonal variation in numbers apparently occurs.

Involution and Cystic Transformation of the Thymus in the Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 648-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Squamous Epithelium ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Texas Gulf Coast ◽  
Thymic Cysts

The thymus glands of 10 bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, collected along the Texas Gulf coast were examined using standard histologic and immunocytochemical methods. The thymus gland of Tursiops persists into adult life, represented by medulla and progressively thinning cortex. A network of epithelial cells, including Hassal bodies, is demonstrable using polyclonal anti-cytokeratin antibody. The network condenses, with loss of lymphoid cells as involution progresses. Cysts arise within the condensed network. These cysts, found in eight of 10 animals, increase in number and size with increasing body size. Body size tends to reflect age. Thymic cysts typically have an irregular shape when small but tend to become spherical as they enlarge. Theey may be lined by squamous epithelium of variable thickness. Eventually, the cysts become macroscopic and filled with a colloidlike material and may largely replace the thymus, which may be identified by noncystic remnants adjacent to the cysts.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies for the Detection of Immunoglobulin G of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus)

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 465-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik H. Nollens ◽  
Linda G. Green ◽  
Diane Duke ◽  
Michael T. Walsh ◽  
Beth Chittick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
Polyclonal Antibody ◽  
Immunoglobulin G ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Common Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Circulating Antibodies ◽  
The Common

Antibodies directed against species-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) have a broad range of applications in serologic and immunologic research and in the development of clinical assays. Validated anti-IgG antibodies for marine mammal species are in short supply. The objective of this study was to produce and validate antibodies with specificity for IgG of the common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus). Bottlenose dolphin IgG was purified using protein G. Two mouse monoclonal antibodies and a rabbit polyclonal antibody were developed from mice and rabbits immunized with bottlenose dolphin IgG. The specificity of the monoclonal antibodies and the polyclonal antibody for bottlenose dolphin IgG was first verified by Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For further validation, both monoclonal antibodies and the polyclonal antibody were incorporated in an indirect ELISA for the detection of the immune response of bottlenose dolphins to a vaccine antigen. Three bottlenose dolphins were immunized with a commercial Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae vaccine, and serial blood samples were collected from all dolphins for measurement of levels of circulating antibodies. Seroconversion was observed in all 3 dolphins by use of both monoclonal antibodies and the polyclonal antibody. Circulating antibodies were detectable as early as 6 days after immunization in 1 dolphin. Peak antibody levels were detected 14 days after the immunization. The ability to detect seroconversion in all 3 immunized bottlenose dolphins firmly establishes the specificity of the monoclonal antibodies and the polyclonal antibody for IgG of the common bottlenose dolphin.

Individual movements between local coastal populations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the northern and eastern Black Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Gladilina ◽  
Olga Shpak ◽  
Valentin Serbin ◽  
Anna Kryukova ◽  
Dmitry Glazov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Short Term ◽  
High Population Growth ◽  
Physical Barriers

The Black Sea subspecies of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ponticus) is threatened and has a small range. Its population structure is little known: it possibly includes a few local coastal populations. We assessed connectivity between coastal groupings in six localities along 800 km of the coastline based on records of photo-identified animals between 2004 and 2014. Abundance of these groupings, as estimated, ranged between 76 and 174 individually distinctive dolphins. In total, there were 350 identified individuals, of which 91 (26%) were resighted within the same areas. However, only three cases of individual movements between local coastal populations were recorded at the distances between 135 and 325 km. Therefore, despite the absence of physical barriers, the coastal Black Sea population is fragmented into numerous resident or locally migrating groupings with site fidelity. These local populations are loosely connected to each other with rare movements between them. This fragmentation can be a factor contributing to short-term fluctuations in abundance of Black Sea bottlenose dolphins and their decline in some localities, despite the potentially high population growth rate.

Mysid Life History and Seasonal Variation in Predation Pressure on Zooplankton

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 1968-1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Murtaugh
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Feeding Rate ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Predation Intensity ◽  
Lake Washington ◽  
History Of ◽  
Relative Vulnerability

The bivoltine life history of Neomysis mercedis in Lake Washington, Seattle, results in seasonal variation in population size structure that influences the amount and quality of predation suffered by its zooplankton prey. Population densities and size–frequency data for Neomysis are combined with information on the influence of body size on feeding rate and composition of the diet to predict relative predation intensity on five size classes of Daphnia over a 27-mo period. An imperfect relationship between mysid numbers and expected predation intensity and seasonal fluctuations in the relative vulnerability of different-sized prey are two consequences of the mysid's pattern of life history.

Wound Healing in the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
L J. Bruce-Allen ◽  
J. R. Geraci
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Epidermal Cells ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Epidermal Thickness ◽  
Mixed Cell ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Sterile Seawater

Early stages of wound healing were characterized in three bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). A total of six 10-cm-long, 2-mm-deep incisions into the dermis were infused with sterile seawater for 30 min. Biopsies representing all surfaces of the cuts were taken at 2, 6, and 12 h and 1, 2, 3, 7, and 10 d. Histologically, wounds from 6 through 72 h were characterized by a mixed cell infiltrate predominated by neutrophils, and extensive areas of intraepidermal vesicles. Migrating epidermal cells bridged the incisional gap by 2 d, while elevated mitotic activity of basal cells restored full epidermal thickness by day 7. Notable was the absence of a traditional scab; its purpose was served by a transformed barrier layer of epidermal cells and vesicles. As well, an abnormal intracellular distribution of melanosomes typified new epidermal cells. The sequence and timing of healing in Tursiops are similar to those reported in terrestrial mammals; differences in the appearance of healing are most likely due to adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle.

Inshore and offshore bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) communities distinguished by association patterns near Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A Rossbach ◽  
Denise L Herzing
Keyword(s):  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Association Patterns ◽  
Simple Ratio ◽  
Water Depths

Little is known about the behavior of offshore dolphin populations. Our purpose was to distinguish and describe stable social groups of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) between inshore and offshore West End, Grand Bahama Island (26°42'N, 79°00'W). Photoidentification was conducted from May to September, 1994 to 1996. A simple ratio index described association patterns between dolphins. Multidimensional scaling of association indices (n = 1711 dolphin pairs) distinguished two dolphin communities consisting of 28 dolphins (19 of known sex) found inshore and 15 dolphins (12 of known sex) found greater than or equal to 27 km offshore. Eight of the 15 offshore dolphins were opportunistically photographed in the same region between 1986 and 1990. The two communities were found at different water depths (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.01), over distinct bottom types (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.01), and used different bottom-foraging strategies. Long-term site fidelity of up to 10 years and repeated dolphin associations of up to 8 years occurred greater than or equal to 27 km from shore. Dolphins sighted greater than or equal to 15 times averaged 48 associates (SD = 11, n = 28). A dolphin's closest associate was of the same gender 74% of the time. This study is the first to report long-term site fidelity and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins found far from shore.

Mercury and Selenium in Blood and Epidermis of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Sarasota Bay, FL: Interaction and Relevance to Life History and Hematologic Parameters

EcoHealth ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 360-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Woshner ◽  
Katrina Knott ◽  
Randall Wells ◽  
Carla Willetto ◽  
Rhonda Swor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Sarasota Bay
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