Conservation efforts of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) of the St. Lawrence estuary include a mortality surveillance program which has the objective of documenting the causes of mortality. The evaluation of the animal's body condition is a key component in the diagnostic process. There is currently no consensual method to measure or calculate body condition indices in beluga whales. Morphological measurements recorded during necropsy were used to design a scaled mass body condition index that was compared to currently used visual evaluation, and to alternative morphological indices. Beluga whales were separated into two size-based groups. The scaled mass index was well correlated with analog-visual-scale derived scores in beluga whale >290 cm, but not in animals <290 cm. Both methods showed almost perfect agreement regarding the categorization of carcasses belonging to the first quartiles. The alternative indices that were best correlated with the scaled mass index were those calculated using the sacral circumference and the ventral adipose thickness in animals <290 cm and the epaxial muscle mass and maximum circumference in beluga whales >290 cm. These scaled indices could provide objective tools to evaluate body condition of stranded beluga whales.

中文翻译：

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从形态测量得出的白鲸 (Delphinapterus leucas) 尸体的身体状况指数

白鲸 ( Delphinapterus leucas ) 的保护工作) 的圣劳伦斯河口包括一个死亡率监测计划，其目的是记录死亡原因。评估动物的身体状况是诊断过程中的关键组成部分。目前没有一致的方法来测量或计算白鲸的身体状况指数。尸检期间记录的形态测量被用来设计一个按比例的质量身体状况指数，该指数与目前使用的视觉评估和替代形态指数进行比较。白鲸被分成两个基于大小的组。在白鲸 >290 cm 中，比例质量指数与模拟视觉比例衍生得分密切相关，但在 <290 cm 的动物中则不相关。两种方法在属于第一四分位数的胴体分类方面显示出几乎完美的一致性。与比例质量指数最相关的替代指数是使用 <290 cm 的动物的骶周和腹侧脂肪厚度以及 > 290 cm 的白鲸的外周肌肉质量和最大周长计算的那些。这些比例指数可以提供客观的工具来评估搁浅的白鲸的身体状况。