Hearing threshold measurements of five stranded short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).
On May 5, 2011, 23 short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, were stranded along the coastline near Cudjoe Key, FL. Five animals (two adult females, two juvenile females, and an adult male) were transported to a rehabilitation facility in Key Largo, FL. Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were recorded in response to amplitude modulated tone pips modulated at 1000 Hz. AEP thresholds were determined at 10, 20, 40, 80, and 120 kHz for the four females. However, the adult male was euthanized prior to testing. Short-finned pilot whales had peak sensitivity at lower frequencies than other odontocetes such as bottlenose dolphins. Greatest sensitivity was around 40 kHz for all whales, while thresholds for the two adult females were 25-61 dB higher at 80 kHz than the juveniles. Click evoked potentials were similar between the four whales and comparable to other echolocating odontocetes. Click evoked potential data from a fifth short-finned pilot whale that had stranded in Curacao showed no response. These findings add to the limited database of pilot whale (short- and long-finned) hearing studies, of which there are only two others [Schlundt et al. (2011). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 129, 1111-1116 and Pacini et al. (2010). J. Exp. Biol. 213, 3138-3143].
University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702.
Danielle R
DR
Greenhow
Micah Brodsky, V.M.D. Consulting, 1287 N.E. 96th Street, Miami Shores, Florida 33138.
Micah C
MC
Brodsky
Marine Mammal Conservancy, 102200 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida 33037.
Robert G
RG
Lingenfelser
University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702.
David A
DA
Mann
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006320:Hearing Tests; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D050686:Whales, Pilot / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*