Observations of killer whales off East Antarctica, 82°-95°E, in 2009
Barre latérale de l'article
Contenu principal de l'article
Résumé
Observations of killer whales (Orcinus orca) during a survey off East Antarctica, 82°–95°E revealed previously undescribed variations in pigmentation and group associations. During the survey 24 killer whale groups were sighted south of 60°S and classified, when possible, to Types A, B, or C based on their external morphology. Sufficient observation was available for nine groups to be classified: 2 groups of Type A; 1 mixed group of Type A and Type B; 3 groups of Type C; and 3 groups with eyepatch pigmentation intermediate in size between Types B and C. These whales may represent an intergrade between Types B and C or a previously unrecognised form. One of the ‘intermediate’ groups was observed feeding in a multi-species aggregation with other cetaceans in deep water. Clearly distinguishable Type A and Type B whales were observed feeding together in a mixed aggregation, the first time that this has been documented.
Details de l'article
Ce travail est disponible sous licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale 4.0 International.
You are free to:
- Share copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt remix, transform, and build upon the material
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- No additional restrictions You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.