The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin is a small species of toothed whale. They are found in warm coastal areas from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the only place in Japan that rears them. Kindai University and the Okinawa Churashima Foundation collaborated and conducted a study on the speed of digestion in a reared Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. An Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin was given food with a capsule of red carmine dye. Researchers then recorded when this red dye first appeared in the dolphin’s feces. The results showed that it took an average of 254 ± 20.4 minutes for the dye to be first excreted. This suggests that Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins excrete within 4 to 6 hours from feeding. The results from this study provide valuable information, allowing a better understanding of feeding and behavior of wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins reared at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Authors

Rikiya Takahashi, Nozomi Kobayashi, Suguru Higa, Mai Sakai (Bold letters: Staff members of Okinawa Churashima Foundation)

Title

The Passage Time of Prey Through the Digestive Tract of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)

Journal

Japanese Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine

Link

https://doi.org/10.5686/jjzwm.26.143