Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, Infected with Brucella ceti
Age parameters in cetaceans allow examining conservation and studying individuals with growth affection. The age and sexual maturity of 51 stranded Stenella coeruleoalba striped dolphins from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) of Costa Rica, most suffering brucellosis (95.6%), were assessed. In o...
| Autores Principales: | Roca‑Monge, Karol, González-Barrientos, Rocío, Suárez Esquivel, Marcela, Palacios Alfaro, José David, Castro Ramírez, Laura, Jiménez Soto, Mauricio, Cordero‑Chavarría, Minor, García-Párraga, Daniel, Barratclough, Ashley, Moreno, Edgardo, Hernández-Mora, Gabriela |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Idioma: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
MDPI
2023
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: |
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/oceans http://hdl.handle.net/11056/24910 https://doi.org/ 10.3390/oceans3040033 |
| Sumario: |
Age parameters in cetaceans allow examining conservation and studying individuals with
growth affection. The age and sexual maturity of 51 stranded Stenella coeruleoalba striped dolphins
from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) of Costa Rica, most suffering brucellosis (95.6%), were assessed.
In order to ascertain the dolphins’ ages, we measured the length and growth of dentin-layer group
counts (GLGs) and assessed flipper bone radiography without (FBSA) and with a formula (FBF).
Sexual maturity was determined through gonadal histology and sexual hormone serum levels.
Compared with a model based on S. coeruleoalba ages estimations in other latitudes, the striped
dolphin studied displayed deficient growth parameters, with considerable variability in length, teeth,
and flippers bone development. Close to 43% (n = 15) of GLGs’ measurements were below the body
length average ranges for the predicted age, suggesting developmental abnormalities. Likewise,
34.4% and 31.2% of the dolphins assessed by FBSA and FBF were also below the body length based on
age prediction curves, also indicating developmental abnormalities. This information is supported by
the poor correlation between GLGs, FBSA, and FBF. Inconsistencies between sexually mature males
and females related to GLGs, FBSA, and FBF were evident. Although the different oceanic settings
of the ETP, such as contamination, food access, diseases, and other parameters, may influence size
variation, our data also suggest that long-lasting debilitating brucellosis may account for detrimental
growth in the ETP striped dolphins. Our study highlights the possible deleterious consequences of
chronic infectious diseases in the cetacean populations already confronting distressful conditions. |
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