Unusual causes of fatal upper aerodigestive tract obstruction in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)

Byard, Roger W.; Tomo, Ikuko; Kemper, Catherine M.; Gibbs, Susan E.; Bossley, Mike; Machado, Aaron; Hill, M. O.

doi:10.1007/s12024-010-9143-3

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…Predation also has its risks: dislocation of the larynx has been reported in bottlenose dolphins due to the ingestion of a black margate (Anisotremus surinamensis) (61) and a beheaded sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) (62), asphyxia due to obstruction of the airway was reported in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) with a common sole (Solea solea) (63) and a European eel (Anguilla anguilla) (64), and inflammation of the throat produced by ingested fish species with strong dorsal spines lead to the death of some bottlenose dolphins (65,66).…”

Section: Traumatic Death Due To An Accident During Predationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective Study of Traumatic Intra-Interspecific Interactions in Stranded Cetaceans, Canary Islands

et al. 2020

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Aggressive encounters involving cetacean species are widely described in the literature. However, detailed pathological studies regarding lesions produced by these encounters are scarce. From January 2000 to December 2017, 540 cetaceans stranded and were necropsied in the Canary Islands, Spain. Of them, 24 cases of eight species presented social traumatic lesions produced by cetaceans of the same or different species. All the cases presented severe multifocal vascular changes, 50% (12/24) presented fractures affecting mainly the thoracic region, 41.7% (10/24) acute tooth-rake marks, 37.5% (9/24) undigested food in the stomach, 33.3% (8/24) tracheal edema, and 12.5% (3/24) pulmonary perforation. In 10 cases with tooth-rake marks, the distance between the teeth, allowed us to further identify the aggressor species: four cases were compatible with killer whales (Orcinus orca) affecting three species [pigmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), and short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)] and four cases compatible with common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) affecting two species [short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)]. We also described two cases of intraspecific interaction in stripped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). Microscopically, 70.8% (17/24) of the cases presented acute degenerative myonecrosis, 66.7% (14/21) presented vacuoles in the myocardiocytes, 36.8% (7/19) pigmentary tubulonephrosis, 31.6% (6/19) cytoplasmic eosinophilic globules within hepatocytes, 21.4% (3/14) hemorrhages in the adrenal gland, and 17.3% (4/23) bronchiolar sphincter contraction. The statistical analysis revealed that deep divers, in good body condition and nearby La Gomera and Tenerife were more prone to these fatal interactions. Additionally, in this period, three animals died due to an accident during predation: a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) died because of a fatal attempt of predation on a stingray, and two Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) died as a consequence of struggling while predating on large squids.

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Section: Traumatic Death Due To An Accident During Predationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective Study of Traumatic Intra-Interspecific Interactions in Stranded Cetaceans, Canary Islands

et al. 2020

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“…Other studies have documented fatal asphyxia due to overzealous feeding, involving ingestion of large-sized teleost or cephalopod preys (SIEBERT et al, 2001 ;BYARD et al, 2003;WATSON & GEE, 2005;BYARD et al, 2010;IJSSELDIJK et al, 2015;STEPHENS et al, 2017). In the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, 14 of 350 stranded and evaluated bottlenose dolphins presented with asphyxia due to laryngeal displacement by ingested fish that greatly distended the esophagus.…”

Section: Severe Laryngeal Strangulation Has Been Documentedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal asphyxia due to laryngeal displacement by large-sized prey in a Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis), Brazil

Mariani

Guimarães

Batista³

et al. 2020

Cienc. Rural

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The Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) is a small odontocete distributed from Santa Catarina state, Brazil, to Honduras. Although it is currently considered “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, considerable knowledge on health and disease aspects of this species has been gained over the last decade. The main threats for the species are represented by multiple anthropic factors. Guiana dolphins feed on a variety of taxa, primarily teleosts, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Herein, we reported a case of severe laryngeal displacement and esophageal impaction with ulceration associated with a deglutted adult leatherjacket (Oligoplites sp.). This fish species is not a common prey item of Guiana dolphins’ diet. Severe upper aerodigestive compromise likely led to death by mechanical asphyxia (choke) in this dolphin. This report attested the occurrence of upper aerodigestive dysfunction due to overzealous feeding in Guiana dolphin and contributed to general knowledge on pathology of the species.

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“…Another case of foreign body retrieval from the stomach bottlenose dolphin was manually adopted by Beroza et al (1981). Byard et al (2010) have reported a fatal upper aerodigestive tract obstruction by an impacted Slender-spined Porcupine Fish and extensive respiratory tract papillomatosis in wild bottlenose dolphins. Denuncio et al (2011) have reported that twenty-eight percent of the dolphins presented Plastic Debris (PD) in their stomach, but no ulcerations or obstructions were recorded in the digestive tracts.…”

Section: Dental Affectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synopsis on the Most Common Pathologies of Dolphins

Eissa¹,

Abu‐Seida²

2015

J. of Fisheries and Aquatic Science

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Dolphins are one of the most iconic species of the marine world. With their playful nature and high intelligence, dolphins have enthralled the hearts of people of all ages from all over the world. The worldwide distribution of dolphins through the diverse global aquatic environments has gifted them with global popularity compared to other aquatic animals in direct contact with the human communities. In the past few decades, deaths, injuries, toxicities, genetic disorders and overfishing were continuously increasing due to faulty anthropogenic activities in th marine environment. The increasing global threats to dolphins' populations have remarkably enhanced the public awareness about these threats and triggered scientific communities to configure reliable/effective solutions. Combating trans-species infectious diseases and development of reliable, safe and cheaper diagnostic as well as therapeutic tools for tissue alterations were the infrastructure of dolphins' veterinary research through the past few decades. However, the veterinary library is suffering from remarkable scarcity of comprehensive literatures about diseases/disorders affecting different body systems of marine mammals. Thus, we present the current review in trial to shed the light on the most common affections of dolphins as a model of the most critically impacted marine mammals.

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Unusual causes of fatal upper aerodigestive tract obstruction in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)

Cited by 18 publications

References 12 publications

Retrospective Study of Traumatic Intra-Interspecific Interactions in Stranded Cetaceans, Canary Islands

Retrospective Study of Traumatic Intra-Interspecific Interactions in Stranded Cetaceans, Canary Islands

Fatal asphyxia due to laryngeal displacement by large-sized prey in a Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis), Brazil

Synopsis on the Most Common Pathologies of Dolphins

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