Title

Diving Behavior Of Immature Hawksbills (Eretmochelys Imbricata) In A Caribbean Cliff-Wall Habitat

Abstract

Time-depth recorders were attached to immature hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766) residing at the northwestern cliffs of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Data on diving profiles obtained from four turtles of 32.0 to 53.4 cm straight carapace length revealed strong similarities in behavioral patterns. During daylight hours, turtles were active an average 8.4 h per day, surfacing 3.6% of the time. Length of foraging dives correlated with turtle size, with mean durations ranging from 8.6 to 14.0 min. Foraging dives, with a mean depth of 4.7 m, were associated with feeding on encrusting sponges. At night, turtles were mostly inactive, surfacing 1.8% of the time and with individual mean submergence intervals of between 30.4 and 37.1 min. From the surfacing behavior of turtles making deep and long dives, it is inferred that dives were aerobic, with the turtles making use of oxygen stores in addition to that of the lung.

Publication Date

1-1-1996

Publication Title

Marine Biology

Volume

127

Issue

1

Number of Pages

171-178

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00993657

Socpus ID

0030301625 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0030301625

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS