Morphology and physiology in some small pelagic cetaceans: Is Dall's porpoise a deep diver and a thoroughbred of the sea?

Abstract

Heart size and blood oxygen (O 2 ) in Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), and common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) correlate with reported swim speeds and dive behavior. Deep-dive capacity is often associated with smaller relative lung masses, larger "inexpensive" tissue masses (locomotor muscle + blubber + bone masses), and larger total O 2 stores. To gain insight into dive behaviors