Abstract
We examined the differential deposition of lipids according to layer, sex and ontogeny in the blubber of 31 adult sperm whales (n = 22 females, 9 males) and two calves that stranded off the Tasmanian coast from 2002 to 2004. Total lipid (TL) content varied widely across the blubber layers of adults (27–77%). Overall, females had higher TL content than males possibly representing higher energy needs due to reproduction. Higher TL content in the middle layer of adults (69%) suggests this layer may act as an energy reserve. Wax esters (WE) dominated the blubber and were highest in the outer layer of adults and calves, likely providing insulative qualities for this deep-diving odontocete. Triacyclglycerols, an easily mobilized energy source, were highest in the inner layer of females (37.3 ± 13.5%) and calves (32.1 ± 1.8%) compared to males (17.1 ± 8.2%). Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) also dominated the blubber. An increasing gradient from the inner to outer layer reflected an increasing source of endogenously synthesized lipids, whereas an increasing gradient of saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) toward the inner layer reflected an increasing source of dietary lipids. Although body site did not affect lipid profiles, stratification between the outer and more metabolically active inner layers suggests that only using the outer layer may result in an incomplete lipid profile for sperm whales.
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The datasets produced and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Marine Conservation Program, Hobart and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for their assistance and support with collection and provision of blubber samples and associated biological information. This project was supported through the Princess Melikoff Trust for which we are very grateful.
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All authors contributed to the design and conception of the study. RG collected and provided access to archived sperm whale tissue. CJ conducted the lipid analyses under the guidance of PN and was assisted by PV. CJ analyzed and wrote the first draft. All authors contributed and approved the final version.
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Archived samples from stranded sperm whales were held by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE), Hobart, Tasmania. No ethics approval was needed to analyze samples.
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Jackson, C.H., Gales, R., Virtue, P. et al. Stratification, sex and ontogenetic effects on the lipid and fatty acid profiles in the blubber of sperm whales from Tasmanian waters. J Comp Physiol B 192, 789–804 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-022-01453-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-022-01453-6