Physeter macrocephalus
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
PROVIDER: PRJNA89335 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
Dataset's files
| Action | DRS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | ||||
| ERR2585120_1.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| ERR2585120_2.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| ERR2586150_1.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| ERR2586150_2.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz |
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Project description:Little is known about the social structure of male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) after they leave their natal units. While previous studies found no evidence for preferred associations among males, the observation of mass-strandings consisting exclusively of males, suggest that they have strong social bonds. To investigate the social associations among male sperm whales, we used half weight index of association, permutation tests and standardized lagged association rate models on a large photo-identification database collected between 2006 and 2017 in Nemuro Strait, Japan. Our results suggest that while male sperm whales are not as social as females, they do form long term associations, have preferred companionship, and forage in social proximity to each other. The best-fitting model to the standardized lagged association rate showed that associations among males last for at least 2.7 years and as most males leave the area after 2 years, associations may last for longer. Twenty dyads were observed associating over more than 2 years, for a maximum 5 years. One dyad was observed associating on 19 different days and clustered on 7 different days. Male associations may function to enhance foraging or to fend off predators. Such relationships seem to be adapted to a pelagic habitat with uncertain resource availability and predation pressure.
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Project description:Physeter macrocephalus Genome Sequencing
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Project description:Sperm whales spatially segregate by sex and social behavior as they mature. In the North Atlantic, male whales move to higher latitudes as far as Svalbard at 80° N, while females and young whales typically remain around lower latitudes below 40-45° N. The Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands constitute important nursery grounds for female and young sperm whales. Irish waters represent a midpoint for this species' spatial segregation in the Northeast Atlantic, where the species occurs along the submarine canyon systems to the west of the country. Historically, just male whales were thought to be found in this region between 51 and 55° N, but one adult female was caught by commercial whalers in 1910, and a 5.49 m calf was found stranded in 1916. Between 1995 and 2023, 10 female sperm whales have been stranded around the coast of Ireland. Eight of these whales have been stranded since 2013, and there has been at least one stranding per year between 2019 and 2023. Four of these strandings have occurred in Donegal in the northwest of Ireland, indicating the presence of female whales along the continental shelf off this region. Two females were stranded within a day of each other and were found in similar states of decomposition in February 2022, indicating that they may have been part of the same group rather than being lone vagrant individuals. Sperm whale calves and juveniles were also sighted in Irish waters in 2001, 2004, and 2010 in the Rockall Trough, along the Porcupine Bank and Goban Spur, where between 1 and 3 individuals were observed on four occasions while one calf live stranded in 2004. These records indicate a historical presence of female and young sperm whales in this region but that an apparent increase in occurrence has taken place over the past decade.
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Project description:Illegal driftnetting causes each year several entanglements and deaths of sperm whales in different Mediterranean areas, primarily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. In summer 2020, during the June-July fishing season, two sperm whales were found entangled in illegal driftnets in the Aeolian Archipelago waters, Southern Italy. These two rare events were an exceptional chance to collect behavioural and acoustics data about entangled sperm whales. We analysed 1132 one-minute sets of breathing/behavioural data and 1575 minutes of acoustic recording, when the whales were found entangled, during the rescue operation, immediately after release, and in the days thereafter. The first whale was generally quiet showing a general status of debilitation/weakness, numerous skin lesions, and low breathing rate (0.31 (0.60)); it collaborated during rescue operations. On the contrary, the second whale showed a high level of agitation with a high breathing rate (1.48 (1.31)) during both the entanglement period and the net cutting operations, vigorously moving its fluke and pectoral fins, opening its mouth, sideway rolling or side fluking and frequently defecating. Acoustically, the first whale produced mainly single clicks in all phases except for two series of creaks during rescuing operations while the second whale produced a wide range of vocalizations (single clicks, likely either slow clicks or regular clicks, creaks, and codas). Our observations indicate that acoustics, respiratory and behavioural parameters may be useful to monitor the physical/physiological status of sperm whales during disentanglement operations.
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Project description:Interactions between individuals of different cetacean species are often observed in the wild. Killer whales (Orcinus orca) can be potential predators of many other cetaceans, and the interception of their vocalizations by unintended cetacean receivers may trigger anti-predator behavior that could mediate predator-prey interactions. We explored the anti-predator behaviour of five typically-solitary male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Norwegian Sea by playing sounds of mammal-feeding killer whales and monitoring behavioural responses using multi-sensor tags. Our results suggest that, rather than taking advantage of their large aerobic capacities to dive away from the perceived predator, sperm whales responded to killer whale playbacks by interrupting their foraging or resting dives and returning to the surface, changing their vocal production, and initiating a surprising degree of social behaviour in these mostly solitary animals. Thus, the interception of predator vocalizations by male sperm whales disrupted functional behaviours and mediated previously unrecognized anti-predator responses.
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Project description:Between the 8th January and the 25th February 2016, the largest sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus mortality event ever recorded in the North Sea occurred with 30 sperm whales stranding in five countries within six weeks. All sperm whales were immature males. Groups were stratified by size, with the smaller animals stranding in the Netherlands, and the largest in England. The majority (n = 27) of the stranded animals were necropsied and/or sampled, allowing for an international and comprehensive investigation into this mortality event. The animals were in fair to good nutritional condition and, aside from the pathologies caused by stranding, did not exhibit significant evidence of disease or trauma. Infectious agents were found, including various parasite species, several bacterial and fungal pathogens and a novel alphaherpesvirus. In nine of the sperm whales a variety of marine litter was found. However, none of these findings were considered to have been the primary cause of the stranding event. Potential anthropogenic and environmental factors that may have caused the sperm whales to enter the North Sea were assessed. Once sperm whales enter the North Sea and head south, the water becomes progressively shallower (<40 m), making this region a global hotspot for sperm whale strandings. We conclude that the reasons for sperm whales to enter the southern North Sea are the result of complex interactions of extrinsic environmental factors. As such, these large mortality events seldom have a single ultimate cause and it is only through multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches that potentially multifactorial large-scale stranding events can be effectively investigated.
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Project description:Despite numerous studies across the large geographic range of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), little is known about the diet and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of this strongly female philopatric species in waters off Southeast Asia. A female sperm whale found dead in Singapore waters provided the opportunity to study her diet and mitochondrial DNA haplotype. Here we report on the identification of stomach contents and mitochondrial DNA haplotype of this individual, and we include coastal hydrodynamic modelling to determine the possible geographic origin of the whale. At least 28 species of prey were eaten by this adult female whale, most of which were cephalopods. The mesopelagic squids Taonius pavo, Histioteuthis pacifica, Chiroteuthis imperator,and Ancistrocheirus lesueurii made up over 65% of the whale's stomach contents. Plastic debris was also found in the whale's stomach. Based on the diet, genetics, and coastal hydrodynamic modelling that suggest an easterly drift of the whale carcass over several days, the dead sperm whale in Singapore probably originated from a pod in the Southern Indian Ocean. This study provides an increase in the understanding the diet and natural history of the sperm whale in Southeast Asia. The combined analyses of stomach contents, DNA, and hydrodynamic modeling could provide a context to future studies on the sperm whale strandings, and have broader applicability for other marine mammals in the region.
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