Tough life: the case of a young coastal common bottlenose dolphin repeatedly entangled

Authors

  • Fernando Félix Museo de Ballenas. Salinas, Ecuador
  • Oscar Vázcones Ministerio de Ambiente
  • Ruby Centeno Time for English and Spanish
  • Juan Romero Ministerio de Ambiente

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5597/00243

Keywords:

bottlenose dolphin, longline, scarring, healing, entanglement, Ecuador

Abstract

We report the case of a young coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) hooked and entangled in artisanal fishing gear on two occasions in a period of six months. In both occasions the animal managed to get rid of the gear by itself. The case occurred in the inner estuary of Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The animal survived both events, but scars remained in various parts of the body and missed fluke tips. Photographs of the individual after the events allowed to evaluate the healing process. This case demonstrated that longlines represents a threat for this population.

Author Biographies

Fernando Félix, Museo de Ballenas. Salinas, Ecuador

Associate Researcher

Oscar Vázcones, Ministerio de Ambiente

Director of el Morro Mangrove Wildlife Refugee

Ruby Centeno, Time for English and Spanish

Manager

Juan Romero, Ministerio de Ambiente

Jefe de Biodiversidad

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Published

2019-02-21

How to Cite

Félix, F., Vázcones, O., Centeno, R., & Romero, J. (2019). Tough life: the case of a young coastal common bottlenose dolphin repeatedly entangled. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 13(1-2), 9-14. https://doi.org/10.5597/00243

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