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Use of multiple tools to assess the feeding preference of coastal dolphins

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Abstract

The feeding preferences of the coastal dolphins Pontoporia blainvillei and Sotalia guianensis in south-eastern Brazil (21º18′S–22º25′S) were assessed through the prey’s index of relative importance (IRI), total mercury concentration (Hgtot), and stable isotopic (δ15N and δ13C) to compare their efficiency in the discrimination of prey contribution to the predators’ diet. The IRI was the best tool to describe the dolphins’ preference, while Hgtot and δ15N seemed to be efficient as a trophic marker when the diet is made up of prey of varying sizes, as observed in S. guianensis. Both dolphins presented lighter δ15N than their prey species, which is an unusual pattern. However, as the sample size to isotope ratios analysis was small, especially to the dolphins, the results should be considered with caution, and further studies are necessary to corroborate these findings. The δ13C values characterized a typical coastal food chain, confirming the preferential area of these species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the fishermen from Atafona harbour and technician Silvana Ribeiro Gomes, who provided us with the dolphins and their prey specimens, Dra. Tércia Guedes Seixas, who conducted the total mercury analysis, the staff at the Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura from Universidade de São Paulo—CENA/USP, who conducted the stable isotopes analysis, and Dr. Leandro Rabello Monteiro, who helped us with SIAR analysis. A.P.M. Di Beneditto was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPq (Proc. nº 300241/09-7) and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—FAPERJ (Proc. Nº E-26/103.038/08). This work was partially supported by CNPq INCT 573.601/08-9.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CBB, Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-620, Brazil

    Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto, Cristina Maria Magalhães de Souza & Carlos Eduardo Rezende

  2. IB, Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil

    Helena Amaral Kehrig

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  1. Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto
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  2. Cristina Maria Magalhães de Souza
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  3. Helena Amaral Kehrig
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  4. Carlos Eduardo Rezende
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Correspondence to Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto.

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Communicated by C. Harrod.

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Di Beneditto, A.P.M., de Souza, C.M.M., Kehrig, H.A. et al. Use of multiple tools to assess the feeding preference of coastal dolphins. Mar Biol 158, 2209–2217 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1726-3

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