Figure 4 - uploaded by Giovanni Bearzi
Content may be subject to copyright.
The "pink spot" on top of the leatherback's head, the contour of which may be used for individual identification (photo by S. Bonizzoni).
Context in source publication
Context 1
... cm) may be seen in the video near the swimming leatherback; the turtle ignored these. While no feeding behavior was observed, the animal defecated (a large yellowish cloud) while swimming about 10 m from the boat and parallel to it. The "pink spot" on the top of the head -a characteristic of adult leatherbacks -was photographed during surfacings (Fig. 4) and its contour may be used for individual identification in case this individual is ...
Similar publications
The article describes predation of a 45cm-long loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) by a 65cm-long angler fish (Lophius sp.) in the Mediterranean Sea (Greece).
Citations
... From the coast of Israel, one leatherback was captured incidentally in a trawler net, and subsequently died from debris ingestion (Levy et al. 2005) and another stranded dead entangled with a static long-line (Levy 2010). Bearzi et al. (2015) reported a leatherback in the semi-enclosed Gulf of Corinth, Greece. Türkozan & Kaska (2010) summarized records for this species from the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey, including a dead leatherback found stranded on the shore of the Anamur-Bozyazı Highway in southeastern Turkey (for details, see Taşkavak & Farkas 1998). ...
... Certainly, leatherback turtles produce very fluid faeces. Observers in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece reported that 'the animal defaecated (a large yellowish cloud)' (Bearzi et al., 2015); this phenomenon can also be seen in an image taken off Indonesia (http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/leatherbackturtle-defecates-off-of-kei-high-res-stock-photography/547989657), which shows a similar pale diarrhoeal outflow. It is feasible that the pale faecal colour indicates the presence of divalent microcrystalline complexes like those expelled by teleosts (Wilson et al., 2002) but no samples have so far been analysed. ...
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are capital breeders that accumulate blubber (33 kJ g wet mass(-1)) by hyperphagia on a gelatinous diet at high latitudes; they breed in the tropics. A jellyfish diet is energy-poor (0.1-0.2 kJ g wet mass(-1)), so leatherbacks must ingest large quantities. Two published estimates of feeding rate (50% body mass d(-1) (on Rhizostoma pulmo), 73% body mass d(-1) (on Cyanea capillata)) have been criticised as too high. Jellyfish have high salt and water contents that must be removed to access organic material and energy. Most salt is removed (as NaCl) by paired lachrymal salt glands. Divalent ions are lost via the gut. In this study the size of adult salt glands (0.622 kg for a 450kg turtle; relatively 3 times the size of salt glands in cheloniid turtles) is measured for the first time by CT scanning. Various published values for leatherback field metabolic rate (FMR), body fluid composition and likely blubber accumulation rates are combined with known jellyfish salt, water and organic compositions to calculate feasible salt gland secretion rates and feeding rates. The results indicate that leatherbacks can produce about 10-15 ml secretion g salt gland mass(-1) h(-1) (tear osmolality 1800 mOsm kg(-1)). This will permit consumption of 80 % body mass d(-1) of Cyanea capillata Calculations suggest that leatherbacks will find it difficult/impossible to accumulate sufficient blubber for reproduction in a single feeding season. Rapid jellyfish digestion and short gut transit times are essential.
... Certainly, leatherback turtles produce very fluid faeces. Observers in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece reported that 'the animal defaecated (a large yellowish cloud)' (Bearzi et al., 2015); this phenomenon can also be seen in an image taken off Indonesia (http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/leatherbackturtle-defecates-off-of-kei-high-res-stock-photography/547989657), which shows a similar pale diarrhoeal outflow. It is feasible that the pale faecal colour indicates the presence of divalent microcrystalline complexes like those expelled by teleosts (Wilson et al., 2002) but no samples have so far been analysed. ...
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are capital breeders that accumulate blubber (33 kJ g −1 wet mass) by hyperphagia on a gelatinous diet at high latitudes; they breed in the tropics. A jellyfish diet is energy poor (0.1–0.2 kJ g −1 wet mass) so leatherbacks must ingest large quantities. Two published estimates of feeding rate [50% body mass day −1 (on Rhizostoma pulmo) and 73% body mass day −1 (on Cyanea capillata)] have been criticised as too high. Jellyfish have high salt and water contents that must be removed to access organic material and energy. Most salt is removed (as NaCl) by paired lachrymal salt glands. Divalent ions are lost via the gut. In this study, the size of adult salt glands (0.622 kg for a 450 kg turtle; relatively three times the size of salt glands in cheloniid turtles) was measured for the first time by computed tomography scanning. Various published values for leatherback field metabolic rate, body fluid composition and likely blubber accumulation rates are combined with known jellyfish salt, water and organic compositions to calculate feasible salt gland secretion rates and feeding rates. The results indicate that leatherbacks can produce about 10–15 ml secretion g −1 salt gland mass h −1 (tear osmolality 1800 mOsm kg −1). This will permit consumption of 80% body mass day −1 of C. capillata. Calculations suggest that leatherbacks will find it difficult/impossible to accumulate sufficient blubber for reproduction in a single feeding season. Rapid jellyfish digestion and short gut transit times are essential.
... Certainly, leatherback turtles produce very fluid faeces. Observers in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece reported that 'the animal defaecated (a large yellowish cloud)' (Bearzi et al., 2015); this phenomenon can also be seen in an image taken off Indonesia (http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/leatherbackturtle-defecates-off-of-kei-high-res-stock-photography/547989657), which shows a similar pale diarrhoeal outflow. It is feasible that the pale faecal colour indicates the presence of divalent microcrystalline complexes like those expelled by teleosts (Wilson et al., 2002) but no samples have so far been analysed. ...
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are capital breeders that accumulate blubber (33 kJ g −1 wet mass) by hyperphagia on a gelatinous diet at high latitudes; they breed in the tropics. A jellyfish diet is energy poor (0.1–0.2 kJ g −1 wet mass) so leatherbacks must ingest large quantities. Two published estimates of feeding rate [50% body mass day −1 (on Rhizostoma pulmo) and 73% body mass day −1 (on Cyanea capillata)] have been criticised as too high. Jellyfish have high salt and water contents that must be removed to access organic material and energy. Most salt is removed (as NaCl) by paired lachrymal salt glands. Divalent ions are lost via the gut. In this study, the size of adult salt glands (0.622 kg for a 450 kg turtle; relatively three times the size of salt glands in cheloniid turtles) was measured for the first time by computed tomography scanning. Various published values for leatherback field metabolic rate, body fluid composition and likely blubber accumulation rates are combined with known jellyfish salt, water and organic compositions to calculate feasible salt gland secretion rates and feeding rates. The results indicate that leatherbacks can produce about 10–15 ml secretion g −1 salt gland mass h −1 (tear osmolality 1800 mOsm kg −1). This will permit consumption of 80% body mass day −1 of C. capillata. Calculations suggest that leatherbacks will find it difficult/impossible to accumulate sufficient blubber for reproduction in a single feeding season. Rapid jellyfish digestion and short gut transit times are essential.
... Mean carapace length was 56 cm (SD ¼ 11.9, range 20-80 cm). In August 2012, we encountered a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) that was approximately 1.5-2 m long; this is the first reported observation of a living individual in the GOC ( Bearzi et al., 2015). ...
The Gulf of Corinth is a 2400-km² semi-enclosed inland system (a mediterraneus) in central Greece. Its continental shelf areas, steep bottom relief, and waters up to 500–900 m deep offer suitable habitat to neritic and pelagic species. We used photographic capture–recapture, distribution modelling, and direct observations to investigate the abundance, status, habitat preferences, movements, and group size of four odontocete species regularly observed in the Gulf, based on five years (2011–2015) of survey effort from small boats. Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) are more abundant (1324 individuals, 95%CI 1158–1515) than was determined from previous estimates. Striped dolphins appear to be confined to the Gulf, where they favour deep and oligotrophic waters, and were encountered in single-species and mixed-species groups. Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) (22 individuals, 95%CI 16–31), individuals with intermediate pigmentation (possibly striped/common dolphin hybrids) (55, 95%CI 36–83), and a single Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) were only encountered in mixed-species groups with striped dolphins. Short-beaked common dolphins constitute a discrete conservation unit (subpopulation), and based on the current estimate, would qualify as Critically Endangered according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (39 animals, 95%CI 33–47) occur in single-species groups; they prefer continental shelf waters and areas near fish farms in the northern sector, and several animals appear to move into and out of the Gulf. Additionally, we contribute records of marine fauna and an assessment of the fishing fleet operating in the Gulf. Our study shows that the importance of this vulnerable marine environment has been underestimated, and management action must be taken to mitigate human impact and ensure long-term protection.
The Marine Turtle Specialist Groups Regional Reporting initiative aims to gather information from all all Regional Management Units (RMUs) updating on the current status and knowledge for all sea turtle populations (RMUs) in such a manner that it is presented in a standardized form and made available to the public.
In the case of the Mediterranean Region, which is the focus of the present report it is essentially an update of the previous report, published in 2010 (http://iucnmtsg.
org/publications/med-report/).
The current Mediterranean report presents updated data following the updated guidelines provided by the MTSG Co-Chairs, where each country is represented as an independent chapter (Country and Regional Overview), structured according to a predetermined outline and a standard spreadsheet of tables. All data presented originate from published sources – no anecdotal reports are included. Published data are those that have already appeared in any type of material that can be cited (including gray literature, internal reports in any language, etc.).
