Fish 475: Marine Mammalogy Today is Wednesday, 9 May 2007 This Thursday’s lab section will meet in rm 108 FSH There are no new handouts today

Foraging biology of cetaceans 1

Foraging biology of cetaceans 2 Foraging biology of cetaceans Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Balaenidae: Right whales: “Skim feeders” Copepod specialists Extremely large heads Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for filtering small zooplankton prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 3 Foraging biology of cetaceans Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Balaenidae: Right whales: “Skim feeders” Copepod specialists Extremely large heads Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for filtering small zooplankton prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 4 Foraging biology of cetaceans Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Balaenidae: Right whales: “Skim feeders” Copepod specialists Extremely large heads Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for filtering small zooplankton prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 5 Foraging biology of cetaceans Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Balaenidae: Right whales: “Skim feeders” Copepod specialists Extremely large heads Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for filtering small zooplankton prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 6 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Balaenidae: Right whales: “Skim feeders” Copepod specialists Extremely large heads Elongated baleen plates with fine fringe for filtering small zooplankton prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 7 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 2. Balaenopteridae: Rorquals: “Lunge feeders” Throat pleats Variable prey Heads more compact than right whales Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser fringe appropriate for filtering larger zooplankton and fish prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 8 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 2. Balaenopteridae: Rorquals: “Lunge feeders” Throat pleats Variable prey Heads more compact than right whales Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser fringe appropriate for filtering larger zooplankton and fish prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 9 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 2. Balaenopteridae: Rorquals: “Lunge feeders” Throat pleats Variable prey Heads more compact than right whales Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser fringe appropriate for filtering larger zooplankton and fish prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 10 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 2. Balaenopteridae: Rorquals: “Lunge feeders” Throat pleats Variable prey Heads more compact than right whales Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser fringe appropriate for filtering larger zooplankton and fish prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 11 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 2. Balaenopteridae: Rorquals: “Lunge feeders” Throat pleats Variable prey Heads more compact than right whales Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser fringe appropriate for filtering larger zooplankton and fish prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 12 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 2. Balaenopteridae: Rorquals: “Lunge feeders” Throat pleats Variable prey Heads more compact than right whales Baleen plates shorter and stiffer, with coarser fringe appropriate for filtering larger zooplankton and fish prey

Foraging biology of cetaceans 13 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 14 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 15 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 16 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 17 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 18 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 19 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 20 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: 3. Eschrichtidae: Gray whales: “Bottom feeders” A few throat pleats Variable prey types and foraging habitats Heads generally similar to rorquals Baleen plates short and stiff, with coarse fringe.

Foraging biology of cetaceans 21 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Cooperative feeding: Rarely seen: Best known examples involve humpback whales, which often display cooperation and division of labor when foraging on schooling prey. Most often seen in association with use of bubble columns and screens

Foraging biology of cetaceans 22 Mysticetes: The filter feeders: Key feature associated with large body size: Ability to partition feeding activity into discreet spatial and temporal components of life history; Possible because of large energy storage capacity of the blubber layer, and the favorable surface to volume ratio associated with large body size. Brazil South Atlantic Ocean South Georgia