Regresar

Potential morphological contributions to a live stranding: abnormal snout and Conchoderma auritum infestation in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Abstract:

On 19 April 2014, an adult male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) measuring 2.68 m in length and exhibiting good body condition was found stranded alive (Figure 1) on a sandbar (24 8.500'N, 110 21.127'W) at La Paz Cove, Baja California Sur, Mexico (Figure 2). The specimen, identified as Tt-190414-LAP, was relocated to the shore to facilitate the rescue operation conducted by staff from different institutions, including the Procuraduría Federal de Protección Ambiental (PROFEPA; Attorney General for Environmental Protection, Mexico). During the initial general examination, two abnormalities were observed:(1) barnacle infestation around and inside the oral cavity (Figure 3a), and (2) the absence of about 50% of the snout, specifically the tip of the upper jaw (Figure 3b). Furthermore, barnacles were also found on the edges of both lobes of the caudal fin. To our knowledge, this is the first published record of these two anomalies for bottlenose dolphins, factors that may have ultimately contributed to the stranding of this individual. A sample of the organisms attached to the oral cavity was taken. During a procedure that lasted approximately 1 h—following protocols to ensure the safety of the dolphin and the workers—rescuers were able to remove most of the barnacles using knives, scalpels, and pliers. Aside from the condition mentioned above, the snout showed no other signs of recent injury or infection. We did not observe any direct evidence of anthropogenic, interspecies, or intraspecies interactions that could have led to the absence of the tip of the upper jaw. A significant weakening was observed in the dolphin after several hours of …