ABSTRACT

Understanding predator–prey relationships is critical in ecology, but relatively challenging when investigating elusive marine megafauna. In this study, we document the presence of shark-inflicted injuries on coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mesoamerican Reef System using photo-identification methods. We analyzed data from a total of 533 photo-identified bottlenose dolphins in Mexico (Ascención Bay, Espíritu Santo Bay, and Chetumal Bay), Belize (Turneffe Atoll, Drowned Cayes, Barrier Reef, and Placencia), and Honduras (Utila). We identified 16 individuals with shark-inflicted injury scars consistent with attacks by large sharks of the Family Carcharhinidae. Additionally, two bottlenose dolphins were encountered with round-shaped crater wounds, likely inflicted by a cookiecutter shark (Isistius spp.). The prevalence of shark-inflicted wounds in bottlenose dolphins varied markedly between sites, with the highest prevalence in Placencia and Ascención Bay (Mexico), and lowest in Turneffe Atoll and Drowned Cayes (Belize). Further research is required to evaluate how predation risk shapes the ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Mesoamerican Reef region.

摘要

了解捕食者与猎物的关系在生态学中至关重要，但在调查难以捉摸的海洋巨型动物时相对具有挑战性。在这项研究中，我们使用照片识别方法记录了中美洲珊瑚礁系统中沿海宽吻海豚 ( Tursiops truncatus )受到鲨鱼伤害的情况。我们分析了来自墨西哥（Ascención 湾、Espíritu Santo 湾和 Chetumal 湾）、伯利兹（Turneffe Atoll、Drowned Cayes、Barrier Reef 和 Placencia）和洪都拉斯（Utila）的总共 533 只照片识别的宽吻海豚的数据。我们确定了 16 个人身上有鲨鱼造成的伤疤，这些伤疤与真鲨科大型鲨鱼的袭击相符。此外，两只宽吻海豚身上有圆形的弹坑伤口，很可能是切饼鲨造成的（Isistius属）。宽吻海豚鲨鱼造成伤口的发生率在不同地点之间差异很大，发生率最高的是普拉圣西亚和阿森西翁湾（墨西哥），最低发生在特内夫环礁和淹礁（伯利兹）。需要进一步的研究来评估捕食风险如何影响中美洲珊瑚礁地区宽吻海豚的生态。