Prey-induced behavioural plasticity of herring-eating killer whales

F.I.P. Samarra; P.J.O. Miller

doi:10.1007/s00227-015-2626-8

Prey-induced behavioural plasticity of herring-eating killer whales

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Behavioural plasticity of top marine predators to adapt to seasonal changes in the behaviour of their prey is little understood. Here, we used data from 16 multi-sensor archival tags attached to killer whales in 2005, 2006 and 2009 to evaluate whether and how their feeding behaviour varied according to seasonal life-stages (overwintering, feeding and spawning) of their herring prey. Feeding periods with tail slaps were consistently characterized by non-directional movement with the production of calls and echolocation clicks, but angular deviation in heading during feeding periods was lower during overwintering than spawning prey life-stages. Tail slaps were produced more often at depths >10 m in the feeding and spawning prey life-stages, while during overwintering, they often occurred at

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	809-821
Journal	Marine Biology
Volume	162
Issue number	4
Early online date	12 Feb 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2626-8
Publication status	Published - Apr 2015

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Access to Document

10.1007/s00227-015-2626-8

Cite this

@article{5ee577a2d3c64251a1e44be3b0a66189,

title = "Prey-induced behavioural plasticity of herring-eating killer whales",

abstract = "Behavioural plasticity of top marine predators to adapt to seasonal changes in the behaviour of their prey is little understood. Here, we used data from 16 multi-sensor archival tags attached to killer whales in 2005, 2006 and 2009 to evaluate whether and how their feeding behaviour varied according to seasonal life-stages (overwintering, feeding and spawning) of their herring prey. Feeding periods with tail slaps were consistently characterized by non-directional movement with the production of calls and echolocation clicks, but angular deviation in heading during feeding periods was lower during overwintering than spawning prey life-stages. Tail slaps were produced more often at depths >10 m in the feeding and spawning prey life-stages, while during overwintering, they often occurred at",

author = "F.I.P. Samarra and P.J.O. Miller",

note = "This work was supported by a studentship from Funda{\c c}{\~a}o para a Ci{\^e}ncia e a Tecnologia (grant number SFRH/BD/30303/2006 to F.I.P.S.), a Russell Trust Award of the University of St Andrews and the Office of Naval Research. ",

year = "2015",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1007/s00227-015-2626-8",

language = "English",

volume = "162",

pages = "809--821",

journal = "Marine Biology",

issn = "0025-3162",

publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prey-induced behavioural plasticity of herring-eating killer whales

AU - Samarra, F.I.P.

AU - Miller, P.J.O.

N1 - This work was supported by a studentship from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (grant number SFRH/BD/30303/2006 to F.I.P.S.), a Russell Trust Award of the University of St Andrews and the Office of Naval Research.

PY - 2015/4

Y1 - 2015/4

N2 - Behavioural plasticity of top marine predators to adapt to seasonal changes in the behaviour of their prey is little understood. Here, we used data from 16 multi-sensor archival tags attached to killer whales in 2005, 2006 and 2009 to evaluate whether and how their feeding behaviour varied according to seasonal life-stages (overwintering, feeding and spawning) of their herring prey. Feeding periods with tail slaps were consistently characterized by non-directional movement with the production of calls and echolocation clicks, but angular deviation in heading during feeding periods was lower during overwintering than spawning prey life-stages. Tail slaps were produced more often at depths >10 m in the feeding and spawning prey life-stages, while during overwintering, they often occurred at

AB - Behavioural plasticity of top marine predators to adapt to seasonal changes in the behaviour of their prey is little understood. Here, we used data from 16 multi-sensor archival tags attached to killer whales in 2005, 2006 and 2009 to evaluate whether and how their feeding behaviour varied according to seasonal life-stages (overwintering, feeding and spawning) of their herring prey. Feeding periods with tail slaps were consistently characterized by non-directional movement with the production of calls and echolocation clicks, but angular deviation in heading during feeding periods was lower during overwintering than spawning prey life-stages. Tail slaps were produced more often at depths >10 m in the feeding and spawning prey life-stages, while during overwintering, they often occurred at

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84925536900

U2 - 10.1007/s00227-015-2626-8

DO - 10.1007/s00227-015-2626-8

M3 - Article

SN - 0025-3162

VL - 162

SP - 809

EP - 821

JO - Marine Biology

JF - Marine Biology

IS - 4

ER -

Prey-induced behavioural plasticity of herring-eating killer whales

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this