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Variation in Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) whistles: using a broadband recording system to analyze acoustic parameters in three areas of southeastern Brazil

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Abstract

The Guiana dolphin produces a variable whistle repertoire related to different social contexts. The current study evaluates Guiana dolphin whistles at a microscale. Acoustic parameters of whistles were compared between three areas in southeastern Brazil using a recording system with sampling rate of 96 kHz. Previous studies that utilized a sampling rate of 48 kHz reported little variation between adjacent areas in Brazil. Nine acoustic parameters of the whistles (duration, start, end, minimum and maximum frequencies, delta frequency, frequency at 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 of duration) were measured and whistles were classified into five contour forms. A total of 659 whistles were analyzed, of which 62.20 % showed an ascending contour form. The Guiana dolphin emitted whistles with a fundamental frequency reaching 44.9 kHz. Dolphin whistles from the three study areas varied significantly in nine acoustic parameters. The whistle duration was shorter (272.44 ± 105.25 ms) in Guanabara Bay than those in Sepetiba (360.05 ± 135.16 ms) and Paraty Bays (376.80 ± 159.78 ms). The start and minimum frequencies of the whistles in Guanabara Bay was significantly higher than those in Sepetiba and Paraty Bays. The results of discriminant function analysis indicated a significant difference between Guanabara Bay and the other two areas. Comparisons of the ascending, descending–ascending, and multi whistles between areas showed differences in some acoustic parameters. In this study, by doubling the sampling rate in our recording systems, we were able to more accurately sample the whistle repertoire of Guiana dolphins in southeastern Brazil, and thereby detect differences in whistles between neighboring populations.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a technical cooperation grant between Petrobras, UERJ, and ACPNR (4600–271434), as well as from Cetacean Society International (CSI). The authors thank the School of Oceanography (FAOC, UERJ) for logistical support. We also thank engineer Orlando de Jesus Ribeiro Afonso from the Brazilian Navy Research Institute (IPqM) for technical support. The authors thank the Graduate Program of Ecology and Evolution (PPGEE, UERJ) for support. We particularly thank Régis Pinto de Lima, Adriana Nascimento Gomes, Sylvia Chada, and Sílvia Peixoto from the Tamoios Ecological Station (ESEC Tamoios-ICMBio) for fieldwork logistics in Paraty Bay. This study was partially funded by the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq-Brazil; Edital Universal No. 476255/2007-4). Dr. Azevedo has a research grant from CNPq (grant No. 304826/2008-1). Dr. Lailson-Brito is a researcher of “Prociência” Program—FAPERJ/UERJ. Thanks to researchers and students of the Aquatic Mammal and Bioindicator Laboratory (MAQUA, UERJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução (PPGEE), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Luciana Guimarães de Andrade, José Lailson-Brito Jr. & Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo

  2. Faculdade de Oceanografia (FAOC), Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores (MAQUA), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Luciana Guimarães de Andrade, Isabela Maria Seabra Lima, Halerson da Silva Macedo, Rafael Ramos de Carvalho, José Lailson-Brito Jr. & Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo

  3. Instituto Boto Cinza, Rua Santa Terezinha 531, Rio de Janeiro, 23860-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Leonardo Flach

Authors
  1. Luciana Guimarães de Andrade
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  2. Isabela Maria Seabra Lima
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  3. Halerson da Silva Macedo
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  4. Rafael Ramos de Carvalho
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  5. José Lailson-Brito Jr.
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  6. Leonardo Flach
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  7. Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo
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Correspondence to Luciana Guimarães de Andrade.

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de Andrade, L.G., Lima, I.M., da Silva Macedo, H. et al. Variation in Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) whistles: using a broadband recording system to analyze acoustic parameters in three areas of southeastern Brazil. acta ethol 18, 47–57 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-014-0183-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-014-0183-7

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