Dolphin interactions with the mullet artisanal fishing on Southern Brazil: a qualitative and quantitative approach

Abstract

A detailed analysis of the interactions between Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) and the artisanal fishing of mullets (Mugil spp.) is presented at two localities in the south of Brazil: Laguna (Santa Catarina) and Inibé/Tramandaí (Rio Grande do Sul). Its behavioral strategies and the advantages of their association are re-described and quantified based on the success of the capture and on the selectivity of the prey sizes. The mullets are the main resource involved (92% to 75%) both at numerical level and as biomass. Twenty individuals of Tursiops truncatus participated in the interactions in Laguna and 9 in Imbé/Tramandaí. The participation and learning of calves is also reported.