Biotemas (Aug 2013)

Franciscana strandings on the north coast of Santa Catarina State and insights into birth period

  • Marta Jussara Cremer,
  • Camila Meirelles Sartori,
  • Annelise Colin Holz,
  • Beatriz Schulze,
  • Natacha Zimmermann Santos,
  • Ana Kássia Moraes Alves,
  • Renan Lopes Paitach

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2013v26n4p133
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 26, no. 4
pp. 133 – 139

Abstract

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Franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei, is the most threatened small cetacean in the South Atlantic. Accidental captures in fishing nets is the main problem for this species throughout its distribution. Dead franciscanas found along the coast are an important source of information. This work aimed to analyze the records of dead franciscanas found on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, including Babitonga Bay. Between January 2001 and November 2012, 54 franciscana carcasses were recorded, with the highest number (8 individuals) in 2011. Fifty-four percent (n=28) of the carcasses were recorded between August and October. Taking into account that this information was not obtained from a systematic effort, it was not possible to consider this as an estimation of mortality. The largest animal was a female, with a total length of 142 cm. Ten recovered animals (18.5%) were smaller than 80 cm, and were considered fetuses or calves. These records indicate that the main birthing period for franciscanas in Santa Catarina is between October and January. The findings presented here contribute to our knowledge of franciscana ecology in the state of Santa Catarina.

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