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Killer whales (Orcinus orca L.) and saithe (Pollachius virens L.) trap herring (Clupea harengus L.) in shallow water by taking advantage of steep bottom topography

Nøttestad, Leif
Working paper
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CM_2002_N_20.PDF (473.7Kb)
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/106345
Date
2002
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  • ICES CM documents authored by IMR scientists (1949-2011) [3138]
Original version
This report is not to be cited without prior reference to the author  
Abstract
Whales and fish use a wide range of hunting tactics in order to catch their prey. Predatorprey

interactions have been seen during the massive wintering of herring (Clupea

harengus) in steep bottomed topography in Lofoten, northwestern Norway. We applied

hydro-acoustics to document how killer whales (Orcinus orca) and Atlantic saithe

(Pollachius virens) herd and trap herring in shallow waters before attacking their prey. A

group of eight killer whales and a shoal consisting of hundreds of saithe concentrated

their attack on the side of the herring schools that faced away from the shallow area.

They thus effectively herded the herring towards the shallower water. The predators then

surrounded the schools, preventing the herring from escaping to deeper, darker and safer

water. Some predators attacked herring by penetrating the school, while others continued

surrounding the school. These are the first, well-documented hydro-acoustic observations

of this hunting tactic. Further research will reveal if this hunting tactic is common and

widespread among other species of marine mammals and fish preying on fish schools in

coastal waters.
Publisher
ICES
Series
ICES CM Documents;2002/N:20

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