Notes

MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 17(1):161-170 (January 2001) 0 2001 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy

FIRST RECORDS OF THE SPECTACLED PORPOISE PHOCOENA DZOPTRZCA IN CONTINENTAL

AUSTRALIAN WATERS

The spectacled porpoise Phocoena dioptrzca Lahille, 1912, is a little-known species found in cool temperate, sub- and low-antarctic waters of the Southern Hemisphere (Jefferson et al. 1993, Goodall and Schiavini 1995). Numerous beached-washed and entangled specimens have been recorded from the south- ern South American region (Hamilton 1941, Fraser 1968, Goodall 1978, Goodall and Cameron 1980, Crespo et al. 1994, Goodall et al. 1994, Goodall and Schiavini 1995), but few have been noted elsewhere. In the Australasian region, specimens have been recorded from the Auckland Islands (Baker 1977), Macquarie Island (Fordyce et al. 1984), Heard Island (Brownell et al. 1989), and New Zealand's South Island.' Few soft tissues have been collected and, as a result, very little is known about the natural history of this species. Only four previous live strandings have been recorded, three from southern South America (Goodall and Schiavini 1995) and a 135-cm male from New Zealand.' At-sea sightings are seldom recorded, but have been made in the waters off the south coast of South America (Jefferson et al. 1993), south of New Zealand (Baker 1990), the Kerguelen Islands (Frost and Best 1976), and in the south- ern Pacific Ocean (Kasamatsu et al. 1990). This paper reports on two recent strandings on the south coast of Australia.

On 12 February 1997, the carcass of a 119-cm female I? dioptrzca (Fig. 1, Table 1, 2) was discovered at the southern end of Two Tree Point Beach in Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, southeastern Tasmania (43"21'S, 147'19'E). It had been on the sandy beach for less than two days and was relatively fresh, with peeling of the epidermis only around the extremities, genital area, and wounds. Five lacerations were present on the left side of the animal, on and around the dorsal fin, possibly from a boat propellor. A set of fine, incisor- like tooth marks arranged in a mouth-like pattern (13 cm in diameter) were present on the right side of the animal, extending from the dorsal surface to just posterior of the flipper. The arrangement and the shape of these incisions

Personal communication from A. van Helden, 1999.

161

162 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 2001

Figure 1. Posterior ventral view of juvenile female Phocoena dioptrica (1998/1/0003) from Bruny Island, Tasmania, photographed at University of Tasmania, Hobart, 13 February 1997. Photo: Karen Evans.

resembled those caused by a small shark mouthing the porpoise after death.L Both sets of injuries were shallow, extending only to the blubber-muscle in- terface.

No obvious cause of death was noted during necropsy. The internal tissues and organs were fresh and firm with no abnormalities or discolorations. The specimen is held in the collections of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania, (acquisition number 1998/1/0003) and in- cludes: skull and full postcranial skeleton; formalin-fixed liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, ovaries, uterus, lung, heart, the left

Personal communiction from J. Stevens, 1997

Table 1. Morphometrics (cm) of two juvenile Phocoena dioptrica: 1998/1/0003 from Tasmania, M18940 from South Australia.

Measurement 1998/1/0003 M18940

Tip of upper jaw to deepest part of fluke notch Tip of upper jaw to center of eye Tip of upper jaw to corner of mouth Tip of upper jaw to blowhole Tip of upper jaw to anterior insertion of flipper Tip of upper jaw to tip of dorsal fin Tip of upper jaw to center of anus Girth, maximum (tip of upper jaw to girth measurement) Flipper, anterior insertion to tip Flipper width (maximum) Fluke width (tip to tip) Depth of fluke notch Dorsal fin height (tip to base) Mandibular teeth Maxillary teeth

119.0 15.2 7.8

16.7 22.3 55.6 76.4 61.9 (48.4) 17.4 7.3

25.4 2.1 9.9

17 16

127.0 15.0 8.0

16.0 24.0

90.0

20.0 7.5

30.0 1.7

-7.6 I@ 1 0

-

-

a Alveolar counts.

NOTES 163

Table 2. Organ weights (g) of the two juvenile Phocoena dioptrica: 1998/1/0003 from Tasmania, M18940 from South Australia. All organs except ovaries and total carcass weighed with top-loading balance. Ovaries weighed on fine-scale balance. Car- casses weighed with spring-loaded scales (50 kg).

Organ 1998/1/0003 M18940 Stomach 19Ob.' - Stomach contents 8.26 - Intestines 64ObxC 5 3 @ h Intestinal contents 3.52 - Liver 56W 643, 41@J Kidney, leftfright 41.90f58.10 5 0"s' Spleen 3.41 - Heart 280' - Ovary, left 0.165" 0.372a Ovary, right 0 .139 0.325"

Lung, right 230' 280".' Total body weight (kg) 17.5 21.3

Lung, left 180' -

a Formalin fixed weight, excluding contents, weight rounded to nearest gram.

eye, muscle, skin, and blubber; frozen blood, muscle and blubber, and skin in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO).

On 24 March 1997, a 127-cm female (Fig. 2 , Table 1, Table 2) was dis- covered swimming close to shore in Horseshoe Bay, off Port Elliot, South

Figure 2. Left lateral view of juvenile female Phocoena dioptrica (M18940) from Port Elliot, South Australia, photographed at RSPCA marine rescue unit, Adelaide, 27 March 1997. Photo: Mark Hill.

164 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 2001

Australia (35°32’10”S, 138”41’00’’E). It was first seen around 1000 and was cast up onto the sandy beach at 1700. The animal was refloated, but appeared to be fatigued and disoriented, approaching people who entered the water. It was removed from the water and transported to the marine rescue unit of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), 70 km away at Adelaide.

The animal was placed in a freshwater, rectangular pool (8 X 4 X 1 m). Dead fish and squid offered to the porpoise were investigated but not eaten. On 25 March the porpoise was rehydrated and force-fed Wombaroo Marine Mammal Milk (Wombaroo Food Products, Adelaide) without resistance or observable distress. The porpoise was able to navigate around the pool without assistance and appeared to be more alert. Salt was added to the pool water to increase salinity. Faeces produced during the night were inspected the follow- ing day. These had an oily, globular appearance and were found to consist of undigested Wombaroo mixture and bile. Rehydration with water and Amino Lite (Boehringer Ingelhiem Ltd.) and force-feeding with Wombaroo continued.

On 27 and 28 March, as there was no improvement in fecal quality, the force-fed mixture was changed to Di-Vetelact (Animal Health Division, Sharpe Laboratories Ltd.) and peanut oil. Antibiotics were administered, and blood and blowhole samples were taken. Fecal samples collected later in the day contained a combination of undigested, bile-coated Wombaroo and an altered Di-Vetelact and peanut oil mix. The porpoise died during the early hours of the morning of 29 March after a decrease in activity and an increase in fatigue and disorientation.

An autopsy revealed considerable damage to the epiglottis and cranial stom- ach, possibly due to force-feeding with a stomach tube. Histological samples of the lung and intestines showed no specific abnormalities, although the lungs were congested. All other organs appeared grossly normal. Blowhole samples showed no significant bacterial growth after 48 h. The specimen is held in the collections of the South Australian Museum (M18940) and includes: skull and full postcranial skeleton; formalin-fixed lungs, kidney, stomach, intestines, liver, ovaries, uterus, dorsal fin, part of tail fluke, esophagus, and tongue; frozen kidney, liver blubber, muscle and skin.

External measurements of the specimens (as per Norris 1961) are shown in Table 1. The body proportions of both fell within the ranges described for P. dioptrica (Goodall and Schiavini 1995), with the exception of the slightly longer flipper (15.7% compared with 8.3%-14.9%, n = 6) of the South Australian specimen.

Pigmentation patterns of P. dioptrica are quite variable (Goodall and Schia- vini 1995). In general, both Australian specimens fell within the range de- scribed for neonates and juveniles by these authors. Some of the differences noted between the two Australian specimens may have been due to postmor- tem changes. When alive the South Australian specimen was dark gray. After death it was blue-black, a similar color to the dead Tasmanian specimen. The outline of the lips of the South Australian specimen also darkened after death.

Both Australian specimens lacked the white dorsal surface of the tail stock

NOTES 165

described by Lahille (1912), but possessed a “sweep” of mottled gray that extended from ventral to dorsal surfaces, similar to the fading or feathering described in Goodall and Schiavini (1995). The lighter pigmentation of the ventral surface of the flukes, as seen in many other specimens (Goodall and Schiavini 1995), appeared to be visible in the photographs of the South Aus- tralian specimen while alive, but was not present in the Tasmanian specimen: the ventral surfaces of the flukes were completely dark (Fig. 1).

Both Australian specimens had clear mouth-to-flipper stripes of diffuse me- dium gray, but only in the Tasmanian specimen was there a second, less dis- tinct, and more ventral mouth-to-flipper stripe as described in Goodall and Schiavini (1995). The main mouth-to-flipper stripe of the South Australian specimen (Fig. 2) ran to a point above and below the mouth, rather than to the lips or just below as illustrated in Goodall and Schiavini (1995). There was no evidence of a lighter band running from the blowhole to the tip of the rostrum in either Australian specimen as described in Goodall and Schia- vini (1995), although a dark patch was visible around the blowhole of the South Australian specimen when alive.

The flippers of both Australian specimens were medium gray dorsally with five darker bands in a “hand-like” pattern (Fig. 2). These may be similar to the radial gray lines described in Goodall and Schiavini (1995). This pattern was less evident in the South Australian specimen after death. Ventrally, the flippers of the Tasmanian specimen graded from white anteriorly to dark gray posteriorly, while the South Australian specimens were mottled gray. Both specimens also had darker bands, again in a “hand-like” pattern on this ventral surface.

A curved line around the genital slit was evident in the Tasmanian specimen (Fig. l ) , although the white pigmentation associated with this was only con- fined to the genital area and not to the rest of the ventral surface below this line as described in Goodall and Schiavini (1995). A similarly colored line extended from the genital area to the ventral surface of the tail flukes. Pho- tographs of the South Australian animal (alive and dead) were not sufficiently clear to comment on this.

The eye pattern of the two Australian specimens varied. Both had a black eyepatch, encircled by a narrow white line, which was broader in the South Australian specimen. When alive, this animal also had a gray halo surrounding the dark eye-patch, as described in Goodall and Schiavini (1995).

Twenty-six small tubercles were noted (along a 90-mm section ending at the apex) on the leading edge of the South Australian specimen’s dorsal fin (Fig. 3). These were positioned at variable distances from each other and some- times off the center line of the leading edge of the dorsal fin. Such tubercles are present in all other members of the family Phocoenidae (Turner 1912; Allen 1923, 1925; Brownell et al. 1987), but have not been previously re- ported for P. dioptricu (see Goodall and Schiavini 1995).

Both specimens had erect dorsal fins, no obvious neonatal folds, and the trailing edges of the flukes were smooth-features suggesting these animals were not neonates. The umbilical scar of the Tasmanian specimen was not

166 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE. VOL. 17. NO. 1. 2001

Figure 3. The surface of the dorsal fin of Phocoena dioptrica (M18940) from South Australia including: (a) left lateral view, (b) dorsal view. Pins located at 2-cm intervals. Anterior (leading edge) at right. Photo: Cath Kemper.

fully healed. Rostra1 vibrissae were not noted in either animal. The presence of papillae on the anterio-lateral edges of the tongue indicated that both an- imals were still suckling. No teeth had erupted through the gum of the Tasmanian animal; there were some erupting in the South Australian animal. Several teeth from the Tasmanian specimen were prepared for ageing following the techniques of Hohn et al. 1996. Examination of the tooth sections showed a clear neonatal line, and the animal’s age was estimated to be six months.

Examination of the prepared skeletons showed that the epiphyses of the vertebrae were not fused to the centra in either animal, although the epiphyses of the sixth cervical vertebra appeared to be starting to fuse in the South Australian specimen. The neural arches of the thoracic and smaller caudal vertebrae were fused to the centra of the vertebra in the South Australian specimen but none were in the Tasmanian animal. There was no fusion of the flipper epiphyses in either animal. A radiograph of the flipper of the South Australian specimen showed that the epiphyses of the radius and ulna were beginning to ossify, four carpals were ossified and one (the magnum) just beginning to ossify. The metacarpaUphalange formula was: I = 2, I1 = 7, I11 = 6, IV = 4, V = 2 . The physical maturity classes detailed in Goodall and Schiavini (1995) place the Tasmanian animal into class 0 (fetus or neonate) and the South Australian specimen somewhere between this class and class 1 (juvenile).

There were 67 vertebrae in the Tasmanian and 68 in the South Australian

NOTES 167

specimen (range: 65-69, Goodall and Schiavini 1995). The number of fused cervical vertebrae fell within the range described in Goodall and Schiavini (1995): four in the Tasmanian animal and six in the South Australian. Both specimens had 26 ribs, more than the 22 ribs reported in Goodall and Schia- vini (1995).

The teeth were weakly spade-shaped, as described in Brownell (1975). Al- veolar counts (Table l) of the Tasmanian specimen were the same as the num- ber of teeth in the gum at dissection and the number of teeth found within the jaw after preparation of the skeleton using dermestid beetles. Alveolar counts of the South Australian specimen may be underestimates, as up to six teeth can be situated in a narrow groove to the posterior of the jaw and lack distinct alveoli (Goodall and Schiavini 1995). The counts of both animals were within the lower range for this species as described in Goodall and Schiavini (1 995).

No parasites were found in the major body organs, body cavities, the esoph- agus, or respiratory passages of either animal. Both animals were emaciated, the Tasmanian specimen weighing 17.5 kg and the South Australian 21.3 kg (on 26 March). All organs were considerably lighter than those of a smaller neonate detailed in Goodall and Schiavini (1995). Maximum blubber thickness in the Tasmanian specimen (20.2 mm) was recorded at the dorsal, anterior part of the peduncle. The pigmented epidermis was thick in both the Tas- manian specimen (5.0 mm along the dorsal surface from just posterior to the blowhole to a position in line with the anus) and the South Australian spec- imen (2.4 mm at the base of the dorsal fin and 9.0 mm from an unknown part of the trunk of the body). The lower lateral and ventral epidermis was much thinner but not measured. The ovaries and uterus of both specimens were small, with no visible signs of corpora or follicles.

The stomach of the Tasmanian specimen contained a small amount of milk- like liquid (suggesting that the animal was still suckling) and two sets of cephalopod beaks identified as Sepia sp. A partially digested ornate cowfish (Aracana ornata) was found in the anterior esophagus.

Oceanographic conditions may, in part, explain why the two I? dioptrica were present along the southern coast of Australia. The record of sea-level anomalies for southern Australia shows a period of generally above-average levels throughout 1996, followed by an abrupt change to a period of below- average levels in early 1997.3 Below average sea levels result in an intensifying of the Southern Ocean gyre, bringing a cold current to Tasmania and south- eastern South Australia. During such periods, subantarctic fauna, possibly in- cluding P. dioptrica, may be found farther north than is usually the case. Daily sea-surface temperature satellite images available for Tasmanian and South Australian waters show major upwelling events present at around the time of the two strandings, supporting the presence of colder waters in these areas.

The distribution of cetacean species has been linked to oceanographical features numerously in recent times (Gulland 1974, Smith et al. 1986, Jaquet

Personal communication from J. Bye, 1998.

168 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 2001

and Whitehead 1996, Jaquet et al. 1996, Griffin 1999). Similar associations between oceanographical events and higher than normal mortality incidents have similarly been detailed (Barber and Chavez 1983, Limberger 1989). Links between stranding events and local oceanographical events can also be inves- tigated, providing insights into the ecology of these species and a greater understanding of factors influencing stranding events.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania, particularly Malcolm Donald and Hans Wapstra, for their help with logistics and the necropsies. John Bracken (South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service) and Les McDiarmid (South Australian Whale Center) are acknowledged for their observations on the porpoise at Port Elliot and for collecting the animal. Staff and management of the RSPCA, es- pecially Colin Cock, and Seaworld, especially Kerry Bockman and Trevor Long, are thanked for their part in maintaining the animal alive at the Marine Rescue Unit. James Mead kindly provided information on tubercles in the family Phocoenidae. We also thank Kim Badcock and Dr. George Cresswell, CSIRO Division of Marine Re- search, for providing invaluable assistance and information on remote sensing and oceanography. Dr. Mark Hindell and Dr. Vivienne Mawson provided valuable advice on the manuscript. Jennifer Thurmer kindly compiled Figure 3. The Tasmanian strand- ing was investigated as part of the Environment Australia consultancy “Cetacean Strandings in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary,” project number SO-MS97-04.

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CRESPO, E. A., J. F. CORCUERA AND A. LOPEZ CAZORLA. 1994. Interactions between marine mammals and fisheries in some coastal fishing areas of Argentina. Report of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 15):269-28 1.

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GOODALL, R. N. P., A. C. M. SCHIAVINI AND C. FERMANI. 1994. Net fisheries and net mortality of small cetaceans off Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Report of the Inter- national Whaling Commission (Special Issue 15):295-304.

GRIFFIN, R. B. 1999. Sperm whale distributions and community ecology associated with a warm-core ring off Georges Bank. Marine Mammal Science 15:33-51.

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KAREN EVANS, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-05,

170 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 2001

Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia; e-mail: evansk@postoffice.utas.edu.au; CATHERINE KEMPER, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. MARK HILL, Somerton Park Veterinary Clinic, 76 Byre Avenue, Warradale, South Australia 5046, Australia. Received 26 October 1999. Accepted 7 June 2000.

MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 17(1):170-171 (January 2001) 0 2001 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy

SIGHTING OF A SINGLE HUMPBACK DOLPHIN (SOUSA SP.) ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF ISRAEL

We report on an 11-d follow-up of a humpback dolphin of undetermined species and sex, sighted consecutively on a 110-km north-to-south course along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The first observation was made on 10 January 2000, in the Bay of Atlit, 10 km south of Haifa, at a water depth of 2-4.5 m. This apparently juvenile (estimated length 1.8-2.0 m) dolphin had a big distinct hump. It had a light-gray dorsum except for the crest of the hump and the tip of the dorsal fin, which were almost black. A distinct white scar on the left side of the base of the dorsal fin would served as an identifying mark on resightings. It was observed swimming in a shallow, sheltered part of the bay for a total of 5.5 h. The second observation was on 18 January inside Jaffa Port, 80 km south of the previous observation, at a water depth of 2.5-5 m. For most of 7 h, until sunset at 1730, the dolphin was observed swimming in a shallow part, just inside the entrance, between the breakwater and the dock.

On the following day we received word of a dolphin inside the port of Ashdod, 33 km from the last observation in Jaffa. Upon arrival there on 20 January, the same individual in apparently good condition was observed for a period of five hours in the southern part of the port, close to docked ships, at depths ranging from 3 to 15 m.

Although coloration and hump alone cannot confirm species identification, the sightings were most probably of the Indian Ocean subspecies of the Indo- Pacific humpback dolphin (Soma chinensis) (formerly Soasa plzlmbea) whose range extends as far north as the tip of the Gulf of Suez. One cannot completely exclude the identification of the West African humpback dolphin (Soma tezl-

szii), although the fact that it has never been reported from the Western Mediterranean (its northernmost range is listed by Rice (1998) as Dakhla, Western Sahara, 23"54'N), makes this possibility highly unlikely.

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in November of 1869, there has been no concrete, documented evidence for any marine mammal species, initially restricted to one of the two seas, to have passed through the canal. Yet, the