Shallow-water habitat use and population parameters of rough-toothed dolphins, Steno bredanensis (G. Cuvier in Lesson, 1828) in southeastern Brazil

摘要

The rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) is a poorly known species along its distribution especially in the Southern Hemisphere where data on habitat use and population parameters are scarce. Boat-based surveys were conducted from 2009 to 2017 in a shallow water environment in southeastern Brazil. During focal-group observations, S. bredanensis was more commonly found in mean depths of 22 m with varying group size and composition. Generalized additive models showed that group size was influenced by environmental variables such as sea surface and bottom temperatures, depth, and season. Photo-identification effort allowed us to catalogue 173 well-distinct marked individuals. Estimates of population parameters showed high and constant survival (phi = 0.99) corroborating site fidelity but time varying capture probabilities (p = .03-.71). An open population model also indicated a small abundance estimate (Nt = 218) of S. bredanensis in the study area, improving knowledge for this species in shallow water environments of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.