COULD LOWER BODY FAT MASS CONTRIBUTE TO COLD-WATER SUSCEPTIBILITY IN CALVES OF THE WEST INDIAN MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS)?

Body fat is an essential component for the survival of marine mammals because it provides insulation for existence in an aquatic environment and serves as an energy source during periods of prolonged fasting. In many instances, recently weaned pinniped pups possess greater relative body fat than the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine mammal science 2004-01, Vol.20 (1), p.176-183
Main Authors: Ortiz, Rudy M., Worthy, Graham A. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Callorhinus ursinus
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mammalia
Pinnipedia
Trichechus manatus
Vertebrata
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Summary:Body fat is an essential component for the survival of marine mammals because it provides insulation for existence in an aquatic environment and serves as an energy source during periods of prolonged fasting. In many instances, recently weaned pinniped pups possess greater relative body fat than their adult counterparts, suggesting that excessive body fat deposits may be especially important to the pups. For example, northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) pups may succumb to cold exposure in the first 3-6 wk postpartum if a sufficient blubber layer is not rapidly deposited. Calves of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) are also susceptible to cold conditions and move to warm-water refuges when water temperatures drop below 20 degree C. This inability to tolerate cold is due largely to the low metabolic rate of the species (Irvine 1983), but clearly would be exacerbated if inadequate insulation were present. However, total body fat stores have yet to be compared between calves and adults in this species. Therefore, the present study examined differences in body composition, and hence body condition, between captive calves and adults of the West Indian manatee to begin to better understand fat storage in this species. In the present study body components were estimated by isotopic dilution, which can provide an effective in vivo method to monitor the condition of both captive and free-ranging animals. The objective of the present study was to determine variability in body composition in West Indian manatees.
ISSN:0824-0469
1748-7692
DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01149.x