Foraging Capacities, Behaviors and Strategies of Otariids and Odobenids

Jeanniard‐du‐Dot, Tiphaine; Guinet, Christophe

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-59184-7_4

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The smaller search swathe for AFS compared to SES suggest that they might need higher prey densities than SES to have the same probability of prey encounter as SES. Therefore, they likely need to concentrate their foraging activity on highly productive waters (Jeanniard-du-Dot & Guinet, 2021). AFS concentrate their foraging activity in the edge of the Kerguelen plateau, where the interactions between currents and continental slope enhance primary production and therefore promotes local aggregation of marine organisms (Lavoie et al, 2000; Meyer et al, 2015; Park et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, estimations of energy expenditure using doubly labelled water techniques found that AFS had a field metabolic rate of ∼ 590 kJ.kg -1 .day -1 (Jeanniard-du-Dot et al, 2016) while it was estimated at ∼ 100 kJ.kg -1 .day -1 for Northern elephant seals (Maresh et al, 2014). These differences in energy expenditure might by partly explained by differences in hunting modes between these species, even if other factors such as thermoregulation capacities, diving capacities, oxygen stores might be taken into account to explain differences in pace of life between otariids and phocids (Jeanniard-du-Dot & Guinet, 2021; Ponganis, 2015). Active predators such as pilot whales or sperm whales usually select highly nutritious prey such as large muscular squids to compensate the energy costs associated with bursts of acceleration (Spitz et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sealing the deal – Antarctic fur seals’ active hunting tactics to capture small evasive prey revealed by miniature sonar tags

Chevallay,

Guinet,

Goulet-Tran

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Fine-scale interactions between predators and their prey are key factors determining both predators' hunting efficiency and prey survival. The ability to adopt hunting tactics that minimise the risk of triggering an escape reaction from the prey is crucial for an efficient foraging, and is contingent to detection capabilities and locomotor performances of both predators and prey. In this study, we aimed at describing fine-scale predator-prey interactions in female Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella, AFS hereafter), a small pinniped foraging on evasive prey. Our objectives were (1) to describe characteristics of prey targeted by female AFS to assess prey selection in this species; (2) to estimate the timing of prey detection by AFS and prey reaction to the AFS approach, and (3) to describe AFS hunting tactics, i.e. fine-scale AFS posture and swimming activity during prey capture events. In fine, we seek to better understand AFS's efficiency at exploiting their small prey. To do so, we used data recorded by a newly developed sonar tag that combines active acoustics with ultra-high resolution movement sensors to study simultaneously the fine-scale behaviour of both AFS and prey during predator-prey interactions. We analysed more than 1200 prey capture events in eight female AFS and showed that AFS and their prey detect each other at the same time, i.e. 1-2 seconds before the strike, forcing AFS to display reactive fast-moving chases to capture their prey. Prey detection was consistently followed by bursts of accelerations from AFS, which lasted longer for evasive prey. We suggest that the ability of AFS to perform bursts of accelerations may allow them to target evasive prey. This active hunting tactics is likely very energy-consuming but might be compensated by the consumption of highly nutritious prey.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sealing the deal – Antarctic fur seals’ active hunting tactics to capture small evasive prey revealed by miniature sonar tags

Chevallay,

Guinet,

Goulet-Tran

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Underwater vocalizations in foraging female Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in the Kerguelen Islands

Chevallay,

Guinet,

Jeanniard du Dot

2024

Marine Mammal Science

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In the marine environment, many animals use sound to interact and communicate with their conspecifics or other species. Over the last decades, the development of sound recording systems has allowed a significant advance in our knowledge of sound production in marine animals. We deployed miniature sound and movement tags on Antarctic fur seals (AFS), a small otariid foraging on mesopelagic fish, to uncover potential underwater vocalizations in this species. Tags recorded underwater sounds synchronously with high‐resolution AFS movements and diving behavior, allowing us to investigate the behavioral context of vocalizations in the natural environment. We provide evidence of underwater vocalizations in foraging female AFS in a context of foraging at sea. AFS produced stereotyped calls made of low‐frequency pulses produced in series, exclusively during foraging dives. We hypothesized that these acoustic pulse series could be used as an acoustic lure to confuse or attract fish prey, however, a larger sample size is needed to study the adaptive significance of these underwater vocalizations.

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Foraging Capacities, Behaviors and Strategies of Otariids and Odobenids

Cited by 2 publications

References 189 publications

Sealing the deal – Antarctic fur seals’ active hunting tactics to capture small evasive prey revealed by miniature sonar tags

Sealing the deal – Antarctic fur seals’ active hunting tactics to capture small evasive prey revealed by miniature sonar tags

Underwater vocalizations in foraging female Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in the Kerguelen Islands

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