Divkovic, A

Divkovic, A.: Size of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) tail flukes from the Adriatic Sea. Diploma Thesis. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Zagreb, 2005.

Abstract

The meaning of this review was to estimate size of bottlenose dolphin tail flukes (Tursiops truncatus) from the Adriatic Sea in correlation with body mass, age and total body length. In 67 bottlenose dolphins' general measurements, body mass, total body length, total spread and width of tail flukes, were measured. Age was estimated by GLG. Sex was determined by adspection. Average spread of tail flukes was 57,77 cm, in range from 22,00 cm to 81,00 cm. Average width of tail flukes was 15,90 cm, in rage from 8,50 cm to 23,50 cm. Tail flukes spread has a higher correlation factor with total body length (R~=0,8212) than with body mass (R"=0,7247). Spread of tail flukes can be estimated using equations: tail flukes spread in centimeters = 14,951 x e⁰'⁰⁰⁵³ *^lolal ^body ^Ienglh ⁱⁿ ^cm (correlation factor R²=0,8212) and tail flukes spread in cm = 0,1579 x body mass in kg + 30,207 (correlation factor R"=0,7274). If the sex of the dolphin is known, more precise results can be gain using equations: tail flukes spread in cm = 0,2663 x total body length in cm - 8,5152 (correlation factor R =0,8227) for males and tail flukes spread in cm = 0,14871 x e⁰'⁰⁰⁵³ *^lolal ^body ^lenglh ⁱⁿ ^cm (uz R²=0,8393) for females. Total body length can be estimated, if tail flukes spread is measured, using equations: total body length in cm = 3,2168 xtail flukes spread in cm + 60,303 (correlation factor R =0,8132) if the sex of the dolphin is not known, or total body length in cm = 3,0895 x tail flukes spread in cm + 69,627 (correlation factor R =0,8227) for males and total body length in cm = 3,2907 x tail flukes spread in cm + 54,685 (correlation factor R"=0,8051) for females. Correlation factors for dolpins age and tail flukes spread are R"=0,6963 for males and R"=0,7291 for females. Tail flukes width has a higher correlation factor with total body length (R"=0,8531) then with body mass (R =0,7895). If total body length is measured, tail flukes width can be estimated usin equations: tail flukes width in cm = 6,1625 x e⁰'⁰⁰³⁹ *^lolal ^body ^lenglh ⁱⁿ ^cm (correlation factor R =0,8531) if the sex of a dolphin is not known, or tail flukes width in cm = 0,0565 x total body length in cm + 2,7885 (correlation factor R"=0,8451) for males and tail flukes width in cm = 5,9902 x e⁰'⁰⁰⁴ ^x ^lolal ^body ^Ienglh ⁱⁿ ^cm (correlation factor R²=0,8678) for females. Total body length can be estimated using equations: total body length in cm = 14,401 x tail flukes width in cm + 7,3076 (correlation factor R²=0,8243), or total body length in cm = 14,966 x tail flukes width in cm - 3,8847 (correlation factor R²=0,8451) for males and total body length in cm = 14,181 x tail flukes width in cm + 12,248 (correlation factor R²=0,807) for females. If body mass is measured, tail flukes width can be estimated using equations: tail flukes width in cm = 0,0369 x body mass in kg + 10,182 (correlation factor R²=0,7895), or: tail flukes width in cm = 0,0331 x body mass in kg + 10,978 (correlation factor R =0,7625) for males and tail flukes width in cm = 10,018 x e W^xMy ™ss'""«_(uz r²=o_?8405) for females. Body mass can be estimated if tail flukes width is measured using equations: body mass in kg = 21,421 xtail flukes width in cm - 185,26 (correlation factor R"=0,7895) if the sex is not known, or body mass in kg = 5,2938 x e °'¹⁹⁸ *^lail ^nukes ^width ⁱⁿ ^cm (correlation factor R²=0,8022) for males and body mass in kg = 20,352 x tail flukes width in cm - 168,12 (correlation factor R"=0,8I26) for females. Correlation factor for dolphins age and tail flukes width is R =0,6773. This research shows that tail flukes spread and width of bottlenose dolphin from Adriatic Sea has a higher correlation factor with total body length then with body weight, whereas correlations with age are not statistically relevant. Average tail flukes spread was 23,034% of total body length for all dolphins, but tail flukes width was for 1% higher for dolphins under 200 cm total body length (in range from 7% to 8% total body length) then for dolphins over 200 cm total body length (in range from 6% to 7%).