Scientific Literature: Searchable Database

Skin disorders in common minke whales and white-beaked dolphins off Iceland, a photographic assessment

Authors

Bertulli, CG; Cecchetti, A; Van Bressem, MF; Van Waerebeek, K

Year

2012

Journal

Skin

Volume

5

Issue

74

Keywords

balaenoptera acutorostrata, Barnacle, cookiecutter shark bites, disease, health, iceland, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, lesions, Minke whale, nodules, Pennella, Photo identification, scarring, skin, tattoo, white beaked dolphins

Abstract

Cutaneous conditions were assessed in 83 common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and 90 white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) photo-identified during whale watching trips in Faxaflói (FB) and Skjálfandi (SB) Bays, Iceland, in 2004-2009. Evident skin disorders in the whales included: oval or circular bite marks by parasitic fish, both cookiecutter sharks (Isistius spp.) (n=32) and probable sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus (n=7), cutaneous elevations (n= 14), black dot lesions (n= 3), hyperplasic lesions resembling warts (n= 1), and scars and wounds of anthropogenic (n= 4) and antagonistic (n= 2) origin. The parasitic copepod Pennella balaenopterae was detected in 6 whales and the commensal semi-stalked barnacle Xenobalanus globicipitis was noticed in 2 whales. One individual showed extensive annular marks of unknown aetiology. In white-beaked dolphins three categories of cutaneous disorders were distinguished: tattoo skin disease -like marks (n= 6), cutaneous elevations (n=1) and lesions of anthropogenic (n=15) and antagonistic (n=3) origin. This study provides a further insight into the appearance and occurrence of natural and anthropogenic conditions affecting the integument of the two most common cetaceans in Icelandic waters. Whether causative factors might synergistically negatively impact general health should be of concern for conservation. This paper further highlights the use of photo-identification as an opportunistic, non-invasive research tool to help monitor the health of free-ranging whales and dolphins. [JMATE. 2012;5(2):29-40]
← Back to Resources

Compartir esta página!

X

Comparte esta página con tus amigos en las redes sociales: