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Commerson’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) can relax acoustic crypsis

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Abstract

Toothed whales use powerful ultrasonic biosonar pulses (i.e. clicks) for echolocation. Underwater acoustic recordings have suggested that the majority of toothed whale species can be grouped acoustically as either producing broadband clicks or narrowband high-frequency (NBHF) clicks. Recently, it has been shown that Heaviside’s dolphins, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii, emit NBHF clicks for echolocation but also clicks of lower frequency and broader bandwidth for communication. Here, we use acoustic recorders and drone video footage to reinforce previous findings that Commerson’s dolphins (C. commersonii) produce signals similar to Heaviside’s dolphins. We reveal that they use clicks with a lower frequency and broader bandwidth in the form of click trains and burst-pulses. These sounds were not recorded in the presence of smaller groups of Commerson’s dolphins, indicating that they may fulfil a communication function in larger groups. Also, we utilised a novel combination of drone video footage paired with underwater acoustic recordings to estimate the source level of echolocation clicks produced by Commerson’s dolphins. In addition, we compare the acoustic signals produced by Commerson’s and Heaviside’s dolphins to identify interspecific similarities and differences. Spectral differences were found in NBHF click trains, buzzes and burst-pulses between species; however, bandwidth and duration parameters were not significantly different for broadband click trains. Our findings make it likely that all four species of the Cephalorhynchus genus have the ability to generate both signal types, and further challenges the evolutionary concept of NBHF signal production.

Significance statement

This study confirms the presence of a duel echolocation click (i.e. biosonar) strategy in Commerson’s dolphins, making them the second species of their genus known to produce two types of biosonar. We provide an in-depth quantitative analysis of Commerson’s dolphin acoustic signal types, and include a comparison of signal types between Commerson’s dolphins and the other species known to produce two types of biosonar, the Heaviside’s dolphin. In addition, this is the first study to combine drone footage with underwater acoustic recordings to measure the source level of toothed whale echolocation signals. We use this novel technique to provide source levels measured from Commerson’s dolphin echolocation clicks which are comparable to published values for this species calculated using an expensive and complicated array of hydrophones. Thus, we provide a simpler and more cost effective way to study sounds produced by marine mammals.

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Availability of data and material

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

Code availability

The progam ‘Porpoise Tracker’ used for collecting measurements from the drone footage is freely available on github: https://github.com/henrikmidtiby/PorpoiseTracker

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Prefectura Naval Argentina (Argentinian Coast Guard) in Puerto San Julián, the Parque Interjurisdiccional Marino Makenke, Lic. Juan Jones, Guardaparque Nacional Matías Ventura, Guardaparque Nacional Paula Vazquez, the Dirección de Fauna – province of Santa Cruz, Amanda Manero (MSc), Captain Luis Koncevich and crew, Dr. Frants Jensen, Dr. Tess Gridley, Dr. Simon Elwen, Vanesa Tossenberger (BSc) and the anonymous reviewers for providing comments and helpful feedback to improve this manuscript. Also, we thank Henrik Dyrberg Egemose and Dr. Henrik Midtiby, University of Southern Denmark, for providing the program for analysing drone videos.

Funding

This study was funded by the University of Southern Denmark, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation and the Fundación Cethus.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Morgan J. Martin and Sara Torres Ortiz contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Kerteminde, Denmark

    Morgan J. Martin, Sara Torres Ortiz & Magnus Wahlberg

  2. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, c/o Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Morgan J. Martin

  3. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany

    Sara Torres Ortiz

  4. Fundación Cethus, Olivos, Prov. Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. Vanesa Reyes Reyes, Alexander Marino & Miguel Iñíguez Bessega

  5. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK

    M. Vanesa Reyes Reyes

  6. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) NA, Plymouth, MA, 02360, United States

    Miguel Iñíguez Bessega

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  1. Morgan J. Martin
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  3. M. Vanesa Reyes Reyes
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  4. Alexander Marino
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data collection was performed by MJM, STO, MVRR, AM and MIB. Material preparation and analysis were performed by MJM, STO and MW. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MJM and STO and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Morgan J. Martin.

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Ethics approval

This research was conducted by the Fundación Cethus in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark with permission from the Dirección General de Recursos Naturales – Province of Santa Cruz (Provision 013/19) and following the ethics guidelines from the University of Southern Denmark, under a permit from the Danish Animal Experiments Inspectorate, based on EU Directive 2010/63/EU. This is an observational study based on focal animal sampling where dolphins were observed from a distance and not touched or harmed in any way during data collection. The engine and echo sounder of the motor boat was turned off around dolphin groups to promote a quieter, less polluting and less disturbing environment.

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All authors have provided their consent to publish the results of this study.

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Additional information

Communicated by S. D Twiss

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Drone video footage paired with acoustic recordings from this study recorded during a large Commerson’s dolphin aggregation which contained broadband signals (MP4 78,397 kb)

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Martin, M.J., Torres Ortiz, S., Reyes Reyes, M.V. et al. Commerson’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) can relax acoustic crypsis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 75, 100 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03035-y

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