Prey preferences among the community of deep-diving odontocetes from the Bay of Biscay, Northeast Atlantic
Résumé
Long-finnedpilotwhales(Globicephalamelas),Risso'sdolphins(Grampusgriseus), melon-headedwhales (Peponocephalaelectra),Cuvier'sbeakedwhales(Ziphiuscavirostris), Sowerby'sbeakedwhales(Mesoplodon bidens), northernbottlenosewhales(Hyperoodonampullatus), spermwhales(Physetermacrocephalus), dwarf spermwhales(Kogiasima) andpygmyspermwhales(Kogiabreviceps) makeupthelarge communityofdeep-divingodontocetesoccurringofftheBayofBiscay,northeastAtlantic.Theecology of thesetoothedcetaceansispoorlydocumentedworldwide.Thepresentstudydescribedtheirprey preferencesfromstomachcontentanalysisandshowedresourcepartitioningwithintheassemblage. The majorityofthespeciesappearedtobemostlyteutophageous.Fishwasanimportantfoodsource only fortheSowerby'sbeakedwhaleand,toalesserextent,forthelong-finnedpilotwhale.Intermsof foraginghabitatsinferredfrompreycomposition,eitherpelagicoceanicordemersalneritichabitats were exploitedbytoothedwhalesintheBayofBiscay,withonlythelong-finnedpilotwhaleforagingin the twohabitats.Finally,withmorethan14,000identifiedcephalopodsfrom39species,thepresent studyhighlightedalsothepoorlyknowndeep-seacephalopodcommunityofftheBayofBiscayusing top predatorsasbiologicalsamplers.