Evidence of seawater drinking in fasting subadult hooded seals (Cystophora cristata)ˆien

The purpose of this study was to investigate the total water turnover rate of fasting subadult hooded seals in order to elucidate to what extent these animals rely in seawater drinking/mariposia at this life stage. Considering mariposia is important for later accurate estimations of food consumption using water turnover rate as a proxy. Five subadult hooded seals were kept fasting for 4 days in a seawater pool. Total body water (39.6 ± 2.5 % of total body mass) decreased by 3.1 ± 0.4 % of initial body water over the experimental period. Turnover rates were 16.7 ± 3.9 (influx) and 24.6 ± 4.6 (efflux) ml · dayˉ¹ · kgˉ¹ with a net water loss of 710 ± 51 ml · day-1. It was estimated that the seals drank approximately 947 ml of seawater per day, which corresponds to 61 % of total daily water influx. Initial body water was relatively low as a result of the high body fat (46.9 ± 3.2 % of initial body mass) shown in the animals. It is concluded that subadult fasting hooded seals drink significant amounts of seawater during fasting. Although mariposia stands out as the major source of free water in fasting hooded seals, the amount of seawater ingested is unlikely to provide a net gain of free water as it is provided by metabolic water. However, it may contribute to excrete the excess of urea produced during early phase I of fasting.(AU)

Evidence of seawater drinking in fasting subadult hooded seals (Cystophora cristata)ˆien

The purpose of this study was to investigate the total water turnover rate of fasting subadult hooded seals in order to elucidate to what extent these animals rely in seawater drinking/mariposia at this life stage. Considering mariposia is important for later accurate estimations of food consumption using water turnover rate as a proxy. Five subadult hooded seals were kept fasting for 4 days in a seawater pool. Total body water (39.6 ± 2.5 % of total body mass) decreased by 3.1 ± 0.4 % of initial body water over the experimental period. Turnover rates were 16.7 ± 3.9 (influx) and 24.6 ± 4.6 (efflux) ml · dayˉ¹ · kgˉ¹ with a net water loss of 710 ± 51 ml · day-1. It was estimated that the seals drank approximately 947 ml of seawater per day, which corresponds to 61 % of total daily water influx. Initial body water was relatively low as a result of the high body fat (46.9 ± 3.2 % of initial body mass) shown in the animals. It is concluded that subadult fasting hooded seals drink significant amounts of seawater during fasting. Although mariposia stands out as the major source of free water in fasting hooded seals, the amount of seawater ingested is unlikely to provide a net gain of free water as it is provided by metabolic water. However, it may contribute to excrete the excess of urea produced during early phase I of fasting.

Cephalopoda as prey of juvenile Southern elephant seals at Isla 25 de Mayo/King George, South Shetland Islands / Cephalopoda como presa de juveniles de elefantes marinos del sur en la Isla 25 de Mayo/King George, Islas Shetland del Sur

El objetivo del presente estudio fue el de incrementar el conocimiento de los hábitos alimentarios del componente juvenil de la población de elefantes marinos del sur [Mirounga leonina (Linnaeus, 1758)] de Isla 25 de Mayo, Islas Shetland del Sur, clase de edad cuya dieta es poco conocida . Un total de 60 ejemplares fueron sometidos a técnicas de lavaje estomacal durante primavera - verano de tres años consecutivos (2003, 2004 y 2005) de los cuales el 53,3 % (n = 32) presentaba restos alimentarios. El calamar antártico Psychroteuthis glacialis Thiele, 1921 fue el taxón presa dominante en términos de frecuencia de ocurrencia (68,7%), abundancia numérica (60,1%) y biomasa (51,5%), contribuyendo en un 84,1% al índice de importancia relativa total. Otros calamares presa de importancia fueron Slosarczykovia circumantartica Lipinski, 2001, en términos de ocurrencia (37,5%) y de abundancia numérica (14%), y Moroteuthis knipovitchi Filippova, 1972 en términos de biomasa (16%). Todos los taxa presa identificados se distribuyen al sur del Frente Polar Antártico, a excepción de Martialia hyadesi Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889, especie que presenta una distribución subantártica asociada a la Zona del Frente Polar. No hubo diferencias significativas intergenéricas ni interanuales en los tamaños de P. glacialis predados por los elefantes marinos. Sin embargo, se encontraron diferencias interanuales significativas en la composición taxonómica de la dieta. Esto estaría asociado a los cambios temporales en la disponibilidad de alimento en las áreas de forrajeo de los elefantes, que a su vez pudieron estar influenciados por las variaciones en las condiciones oceanográficas, como resultado de la Oscilación Austral del Niño (ENSO) que se produjo durante parte del período de estudio. Por otra parte, se observó cierta respuesta diferencial de machos y hembras a esta variación temporal, estando los primeros asociados a una predación sobre octópodos[...](AU)

The aim of the present study was to enhance the knowledge of the feeding habits of the juvenile component of the population of Southern elephant seals [Mirounga leonina (Linnaeus, 1758)] from Isla 25 de Mayo, South Shetland Islands, age class whose diet information is scarce. A total of 60 individuals were stomach lavaged in the spring - summer seasons of three consecutive years (2003, 2004 and 2005) of which 53.3 % (n = 32) presented food remnants. The Antarctic glacial squid Psychroteuthis glacialis Thiele, 1921 was the dominant prey taxon in terms of frequency of occurrence (68.7%), numerical abundance (60.1%) and biomass (51.5%), contributing 84.1% to the total relative importance index. Other squid prey species of importance were Slosarczykovia circumantartica Lipinski, 2001 in terms of occurrence (37.5%) and numerical abundance (14%) and Moroteuthis knipovitchi Filippova, 1972 in terms of biomass (16%). All identified cephalopod prey taxa are distributed south of the Antarctic Polar Front, except for the squid Martialia hyadesi Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889 which has a circumpolar distribution associated to the Polar Frontal Zone. No significant differences in the sizes of P. glacialis preyed upon by elephant seals were found between sexes and years. However, significant interannual differences were found in the taxonomical composition of their diet. This would be associated with temporal changes in food availability at the foraging areas of seals, which in turn may have been influenced by changes in oceanographic conditions as a result of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon that occurred during part of the study period. Furthermore, a differential response of males and females to this temporal variation was observed, with the former being also associated to a predation on octopods. This would suggest a sexual segregation in foraging habits of this species from the early stages of its life cycle(AU)

Cephalopoda as prey of juvenile Southern elephant seals at Isla 25 de Mayo/King George, South Shetland Islands / Cephalopoda como presa de juveniles de elefantes marinos del sur en la Isla 25 de Mayo/King George, Islas Shetland del Sur

El objetivo del presente estudio fue el de incrementar el conocimiento de los hábitos alimentarios del componente juvenil de la población de elefantes marinos del sur [Mirounga leonina (Linnaeus, 1758)] de Isla 25 de Mayo, Islas Shetland del Sur, clase de edad cuya dieta es poco conocida . Un total de 60 ejemplares fueron sometidos a técnicas de lavaje estomacal durante primavera - verano de tres años consecutivos (2003, 2004 y 2005) de los cuales el 53,3 % (n = 32) presentaba restos alimentarios. El calamar antártico Psychroteuthis glacialis Thiele, 1921 fue el taxón presa dominante en términos de frecuencia de ocurrencia (68,7%), abundancia numérica (60,1%) y biomasa (51,5%), contribuyendo en un 84,1% al índice de importancia relativa total. Otros calamares presa de importancia fueron Slosarczykovia circumantartica Lipinski, 2001, en términos de ocurrencia (37,5%) y de abundancia numérica (14%), y Moroteuthis knipovitchi Filippova, 1972 en términos de biomasa (16%). Todos los taxa presa identificados se distribuyen al sur del Frente Polar Antártico, a excepción de Martialia hyadesi Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889, especie que presenta una distribución subantártica asociada a la Zona del Frente Polar. No hubo diferencias significativas intergenéricas ni interanuales en los tamaños de P. glacialis predados por los elefantes marinos. Sin embargo, se encontraron diferencias interanuales significativas en la composición taxonómica de la dieta. Esto estaría asociado a los cambios temporales en la disponibilidad de alimento en las áreas de forrajeo de los elefantes, que a su vez pudieron estar influenciados por las variaciones en las condiciones oceanográficas, como resultado de la Oscilación Austral del Niño (ENSO) que se produjo durante parte del período de estudio. Por otra parte, se observó cierta respuesta diferencial de machos y hembras a esta variación temporal, estando los primeros asociados a una predación sobre octópodos[...]

The aim of the present study was to enhance the knowledge of the feeding habits of the juvenile component of the population of Southern elephant seals [Mirounga leonina (Linnaeus, 1758)] from Isla 25 de Mayo, South Shetland Islands, age class whose diet information is scarce. A total of 60 individuals were stomach lavaged in the spring - summer seasons of three consecutive years (2003, 2004 and 2005) of which 53.3 % (n = 32) presented food remnants. The Antarctic glacial squid Psychroteuthis glacialis Thiele, 1921 was the dominant prey taxon in terms of frequency of occurrence (68.7%), numerical abundance (60.1%) and biomass (51.5%), contributing 84.1% to the total relative importance index. Other squid prey species of importance were Slosarczykovia circumantartica Lipinski, 2001 in terms of occurrence (37.5%) and numerical abundance (14%) and Moroteuthis knipovitchi Filippova, 1972 in terms of biomass (16%). All identified cephalopod prey taxa are distributed south of the Antarctic Polar Front, except for the squid Martialia hyadesi Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889 which has a circumpolar distribution associated to the Polar Frontal Zone. No significant differences in the sizes of P. glacialis preyed upon by elephant seals were found between sexes and years. However, significant interannual differences were found in the taxonomical composition of their diet. This would be associated with temporal changes in food availability at the foraging areas of seals, which in turn may have been influenced by changes in oceanographic conditions as a result of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon that occurred during part of the study period. Furthermore, a differential response of males and females to this temporal variation was observed, with the former being also associated to a predation on octopods. This would suggest a sexual segregation in foraging habits of this species from the early stages of its life cycle

Avaliação hematológica e dosagem bioquímica de ALT, AST e creatinina em elefante-marinho-do-sul, Mirounga leonina (linnaeus, 1758), encontrado no litoral de Salvador, Bahia / Haematological analysis and clinical chemistry of ALT, AST and creatinine of a southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina (linnaeus, 1758), found on the Salvador coast, Bahia

O Centro de Resgate de Mamíferos Aquáticos (CRMA) tem trabalhado desde 1999 com o resgate e a reabilitação de cetáceos e pinípedes em situação de encalhe no litoral do Estado da Bahia. O presente trabalho objetiva apresentar e avaliar os resultados de hemogramas e dosagens séricas de alanina aminotranferase (ALT), aspartato aminotransferase (AST) e creatinina realizados em um exemplar de elefante-marinho-do-sul, Mirounga leonina (LINNAEUS, 1758), encontrado no dia 11 de fevereiro de 2002 na praia da Barra, litoral de Salvador, BA. Tratava-se de um filhote macho, com 137cm de comprimento e peso aproximado de 49kg, com estado nutricional debilitado, um ferimento no lado direito na altura da escápula. O exemplar permaneceu em acompanhamento clínico por 56 dias, sendo vermifugado com Febendazole, o ferimento suturado e tratado com álcool iodado, Nitrofurazona solução e Tartarato de Ketanserina, simultaneamente com Enrofloxacina 10%, Potenay®, Complexo B e Benerva®.No dia 16 seguinte apresentou um quadro de conjuntivite unilateral direita, sendo tratado até o final de sua estadia com pomada oftálmica à base de Cloridrato de Cloranfenicol. Durante este período colheu-se um total de seis amostras de sangue, sendo três para a realização de hemograma e as demais para dosagem de ALT, AST e creatinina. De acordo com os resultados dos eritrogramas o filhote desenvolveu um quadro de anemia, classificada como microcítica e normocrômica. Com relação aos leucogramas, destacou-se linfopenia, eosinopenia e monocitopenia, possivelmente influenciado pelas condições de estresse e o manejo. Constatou-se nos exames bioquimicos valores diminuídos para a AST e creatinina, porém não representando a existência de um quadro patológico de significância clínica.(AU)

Since 1999 the Aquatic Mammals Rescue Center - AMRC has been working in the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded cetaceans and pinnipeds on the coast of Bahia, Brazil. This paper presents and analyses the blood cells count and clinical chernistry of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatinine of a southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina (LINNAEUS, 1758), found on February the 11 th at Barra Beach, Salvador, BA. The specimen was an orphan male calf, with 137cm of length and estimated weight of 49kg. It presemed bad nutritional conditions and a shark bite on the right shoulder area. Clinical management was performed for 56 days, anthelrnintic Febendazole was utilized, and the bite was treated with iodined alcohol, Nitrofurazone solution and Kethanserin, simultaneously with Enrofloxacin 10%, Potenay®, Vitamin B Complex and Benerva®. On the 16th the animal presented a right unilateral conjuntivitis, treated with Cloranphenicol oftalmic pomade until the end of its stay in the captive. During this period a total of six blood samples were collected, three for total blood counts and the others for the biochernistry determination of ALT, AST and creatinine. According to the haematological analysis the seal developed an anaemia which was classified as microcytic and normochromic. Lymphopenia, eosinopenia and monocytopenia were also observed, possibly due to its handling and stress conditions. The clinical chemistry presented low values for AST and creatinine, although this did not represent the existence of any pathologic context or disease with clinical significance.(AU)