Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i>
Age parameters in cetaceans allow examining conservation and studying individuals with growth affection. The age and sexual maturity of 51 stranded <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> striped dolphins from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) of Costa Rica, most suffering brucellosis (95.6%), wer...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Oceans |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/3/4/33 |
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| author | Karol Roca-Monge Rocío González-Barrientos Marcela Suárez-Esquivel José David Palacios-Alfaro Laura Castro-Ramírez Mauricio Jiménez-Soto Minor Cordero-Chavarría Daniel García-Párraga Ashley Barratclough Edgardo Moreno Gabriela Hernández-Mora |
| author_facet | Karol Roca-Monge Rocío González-Barrientos Marcela Suárez-Esquivel José David Palacios-Alfaro Laura Castro-Ramírez Mauricio Jiménez-Soto Minor Cordero-Chavarría Daniel García-Párraga Ashley Barratclough Edgardo Moreno Gabriela Hernández-Mora |
| author_sort | Karol Roca-Monge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Age parameters in cetaceans allow examining conservation and studying individuals with growth affection. The age and sexual maturity of 51 stranded <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> striped dolphins from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) of Costa Rica, most suffering brucellosis (95.6%), were assessed. In order to ascertain the dolphins’ ages, we measured the length and growth of dentin-layer group counts (GLGs) and assessed flipper bone radiography without (FBSA) and with a formula (FBF). Sexual maturity was determined through gonadal histology and sexual hormone serum levels. Compared with a model based on <i>S. coeruleoalba</i> ages estimations in other latitudes, the striped dolphin studied displayed deficient growth parameters, with considerable variability in length, teeth, and flippers bone development. Close to 43% (<i>n</i> = 15) of GLGs’ measurements were below the body length average ranges for the predicted age, suggesting developmental abnormalities. Likewise, 34.4% and 31.2% of the dolphins assessed by FBSA and FBF were also below the body length based on age prediction curves, also indicating developmental abnormalities. This information is supported by the poor correlation between GLGs, FBSA, and FBF. Inconsistencies between sexually mature males and females related to GLGs, FBSA, and FBF were evident. Although the different oceanic settings of the ETP, such as contamination, food access, diseases, and other parameters, may influence size variation, our data also suggest that long-lasting debilitating brucellosis may account for detrimental growth in the ETP striped dolphins. Our study highlights the possible deleterious consequences of chronic infectious diseases in the cetacean populations already confronting distressful conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:00:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3753d1d254f240c59cf6c11f118a059f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-1924 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:00:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oceans |
| spelling | doaj.art-3753d1d254f240c59cf6c11f118a059f2023-11-24T17:10:54ZengMDPI AGOceans2673-19242022-10-013449450810.3390/oceans3040033Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i>Karol Roca-Monge0Rocío González-Barrientos1Marcela Suárez-Esquivel2José David Palacios-Alfaro3Laura Castro-Ramírez4Mauricio Jiménez-Soto5Minor Cordero-Chavarría6Daniel García-Párraga7Ashley Barratclough8Edgardo Moreno9Gabriela Hernández-Mora10Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaTexas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, PO Drawer 3040, College Station, TX 77841-3040, USAEscuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaIndependent Researcher, San Pablo de Heredia, Santiago, Heredia 40503, Costa RicaEscuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaEscuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaServicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaResearch Department, Fundación Oceanográfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Oceanográfic, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, 46013 Valencia, SpainNational Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA 92107, USAEscuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaServicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Heredia 40104, Costa RicaAge parameters in cetaceans allow examining conservation and studying individuals with growth affection. The age and sexual maturity of 51 stranded <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> striped dolphins from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) of Costa Rica, most suffering brucellosis (95.6%), were assessed. In order to ascertain the dolphins’ ages, we measured the length and growth of dentin-layer group counts (GLGs) and assessed flipper bone radiography without (FBSA) and with a formula (FBF). Sexual maturity was determined through gonadal histology and sexual hormone serum levels. Compared with a model based on <i>S. coeruleoalba</i> ages estimations in other latitudes, the striped dolphin studied displayed deficient growth parameters, with considerable variability in length, teeth, and flippers bone development. Close to 43% (<i>n</i> = 15) of GLGs’ measurements were below the body length average ranges for the predicted age, suggesting developmental abnormalities. Likewise, 34.4% and 31.2% of the dolphins assessed by FBSA and FBF were also below the body length based on age prediction curves, also indicating developmental abnormalities. This information is supported by the poor correlation between GLGs, FBSA, and FBF. Inconsistencies between sexually mature males and females related to GLGs, FBSA, and FBF were evident. Although the different oceanic settings of the ETP, such as contamination, food access, diseases, and other parameters, may influence size variation, our data also suggest that long-lasting debilitating brucellosis may account for detrimental growth in the ETP striped dolphins. Our study highlights the possible deleterious consequences of chronic infectious diseases in the cetacean populations already confronting distressful conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/3/4/33<i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i><i>Brucella ceti</i>radiographygonadal histologyGLGsexual hormones |
| spellingShingle | Karol Roca-Monge Rocío González-Barrientos Marcela Suárez-Esquivel José David Palacios-Alfaro Laura Castro-Ramírez Mauricio Jiménez-Soto Minor Cordero-Chavarría Daniel García-Párraga Ashley Barratclough Edgardo Moreno Gabriela Hernández-Mora Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i> Oceans <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> <i>Brucella ceti</i> radiography gonadal histology GLG sexual hormones |
| title | Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i> |
| title_full | Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i> |
| title_fullStr | Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i> |
| title_short | Age and Sexual Maturity Estimation of Stranded Striped Dolphins, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i>, Infected with <i>Brucella ceti</i> |
| title_sort | age and sexual maturity estimation of stranded striped dolphins i stenella coeruleoalba i infected with i brucella ceti i |
| topic | <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> <i>Brucella ceti</i> radiography gonadal histology GLG sexual hormones |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/3/4/33 |
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