Group size and composition of Tursiops truncatus (Cetacea: Delphinidae), in a coastal insular habitat off southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to describe the size and composition of groups of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Cagarras Archipelago (23°01’S, 43°12’W), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil based on six years of observation (2004 and 2006 to 2010). The group size (n = 51) ranged between three and 30 individuals (mean = 13.7 ± 7.1), and the frequency distribution of group size showed modes at six individuals and 19 individuals. The largest average group size occurred in 2004 (mean 21.4 ± 3.3) and the smallest in 2008 (mean 4.4 ± 0.8). The number of individuals/group decreased over the years and this decrease could be correlated with habitat quality. The average number of immature individuals (neonates, calves and juveniles), expressed as a proportion of the total group size, varied between 0.31 (2006) and 0.4 (2010). This proportion did not vary significantly among years. These results suggest that the Cagarras Archipelago should be considered critical habitat for the survival and /or population growth of T. truncatus in southeastern Brazil.