Habitat use by marine tucuxis (Sotalia guianensis) (Cetacea: Delphinidae) in Guanabara Bay, south-eastern Brazil

Abstract

Data on habitat use by marine tucuxis (Sotalia guianensis) were collected in Guanabara Bay (GB), south-eastern Brazil, over a two-year period. Diurnal activities of marine tucuxis were dominated by behaviour related to feeding/foraging (58% of all recorded time). Dolphins spent more time in feeding/foraging activities in the morning with a secondary peak in late afternoon. Dolphins were seen in waters of 2 to 35 m (11.63±6.05; median=12.0). Depths used by S. guianensis groups significantly differed from depths available in GB (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test; Z=5.72; P<0.001). Most groups (69.8%) were sighted in depths between 5.1 and 15.0 m. Dolphins occupied an area of 136.9 km2, which represents about 42% of the entire water surface of GB. Individuals selected areas within GB and avoided the most degraded ones, which suggests that habitat degradation may affect S. guianensis distribution. Diurnal distances travelled by individuals ranged from 3.3 to 27.2 km in a same day. Dolphins found in main channel and adjacent waters moved along the north–south axis of GB throughout the day and covered distances three times greater than dolphins which concentrated their activities in north-eastern areas.