Abstract

VERME, Valeria  and  IANNACONE, José. Social structure of the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (CETACEA: DELPHINIDAE) in the southeastern coast of Tenerife Island (Canary Islands), Spain. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2012, vol.11, n.2, pp.67-76. ISSN 1726-2216.

The bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) plays an important role in the whale watching industry in the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands), Spain. The aim of this study was to determine the social structure of T. truncatus on the South Eastern coast of Tenerife for the years 2005 and 2006, in a study area of 180 km². 129 dolphins were photo-identified, 70 of which were considered as residents (54.3%), because they were observed both years. The estimated population in the study area was 143 bottlenose dolphins, with a density of 0.79 dolphins·km-2. The number of dolphins per group varied from 2 to 10 individuals. Groups comprised of more than 50 dolphins have been sighted, although this was not very common. Offspring were observed from June to November, with the peak in August (summer). It was determined that there are strong associations between female dolphins sighted together. Index of association (HWI) showed values from 0,09 to 0,30.

Keywords : cetaceans; degree of residence; offspring; photo-identification; social structure.

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