Similar circling movements observed across marine megafauna taxa
Tomoko Narazaki,
Itsumi Nakamura,
Kagari Aoki,
Takashi Iwata,
Kozue Shiomi,
Paolo Luschi,
Hiroyuki Suganuma,
Carl G. Meyer,
Rui Matsumoto,
Charles A. Bost,
Yves Handrich,
Masao Amano,
Ryosuke Okamoto,
Kyoichi Mori,
Stéphane Ciccione,
Jérôme Bourjea,
Katsufumi Sato
Affiliations
Tomoko Narazaki
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan; Corresponding author
Itsumi Nakamura
Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, 1551-7 Tairamachi, Nagasaki, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan
Kagari Aoki
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
Takashi Iwata
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan; Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, 1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8524, Japan; Graduate School of Maritime Sciences, Kobe University, 5-1-1 Fukaeminamimachi, Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo, 658-0022, Japan
Kozue Shiomi
Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
Paolo Luschi
Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
Hiroyuki Suganuma
Everlasting Nature of Asia, 3-17-8 Nishikanagawa, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 221-0822, Japan
Carl G. Meyer
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
Rui Matsumoto
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, 888 Ishikawa, Motobucho, Kunigamigun, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan
Charles A. Bost
Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, Villiers en Bois 79360, France
Yves Handrich
Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg 67000, France
Masao Amano
Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
Ryosuke Okamoto
Ogasawara Whale Watching Association, Chichi-jima, Ogasawara, Tokyo 100-2101, Japan
Kyoichi Mori
Department of Animal Sciences, Teikyo University of Science, 2525 Yatsusawa, Uenohara, Yamanashi 409-0193, Japan
Stéphane Ciccione
Kelonia, l'observatoire des tortues marines, 46 rue du Général de Gaulle, Saint Leu, La Réunion 97436, France
Jérôme Bourjea
MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Avenue Jean Monnet, Sète 34200, France
Katsufumi Sato
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
Summary: Advances in biologging technology have enabled 3D dead-reckoning reconstruction of marine animal movements at spatiotemporal scales of meters and seconds. Examining high-resolution 3D movements of sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier, N = 4; Rhincodon typus, N = 1), sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, N = 3), penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus, N = 6), and marine mammals (Arctocephalus gazella, N = 4; Ziphius cavirostris, N = 1), we report the discovery of circling events where animals consecutively circled more than twice at relatively constant angular speeds. Similar circling behaviors were observed across a wide variety of marine megafauna, suggesting these behaviors might serve several similar purposes across taxa including foraging, social interactions, and navigation.
