Food consumption and growth of a female dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus)

Food consumption, body measurements, weight changes, and body temperatures of a female dusky dolphin are presented for the 13 years that she was at Se a World, Durban. Her annual food consumption increased from 1,870 kg at the age of 3 years to 2,170 kg when she was 5 years old. During her sixth year , her annual food intake increased to approximately 2,900 kg. This increase coincided with the installation of a cooling system that was used in the s ummer in the years thereafter. After her sixth year, her food consumption f luctuated between 2,400 and 2,800 kg per year. The dolphin's body weight in creased gradually from approximately 52 kg at the age of 2 years to approxi mately 66 kg at the age of 6 years. Thereafter, her weight fluctuated betwe en 61 and 74 kg. As body weight increased, daily food consumption as a perc entage of body weight decreased. In general, her food intake was above aver age during autumn and winter, and below average during spring and summer. T he average pool water temperature fluctuated seasonally. Gastrointestinal i nitial passage time was measured using carmine red dye. The median passage time was 150 minutes. The average rectal temperature was 36.9 degrees C. Zo o Biol 19:131-142, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.