Food intake and body measurements of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) in captivity.

The food consumption (recorded in kg of individual fish species), body length and mass of 11 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins kept first at Windsor Safari Park, UK (1979-1993/1994), and later at Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park, The Netherlands (1993/1994-1995) are reported. This broad-scale, longitudinal study is based on historical data that were originally recorded for short-term husbandry purposes. The chemical composition and caloric value of the diet were variable and were not recorded. The food intake quantities should therefore be viewed as rough weight estimates of what wild conspecifics might eat (depending on their diet). The average annual food consumption of adult males and non-pregnant, non-lactating females was approximately 2000 kg of fish (estimated at 176 x 10(5) kJ). Food consumption showed little increase during gestation, but was 58-97% higher during lactation than during similar periods in non-reproductive years. All six calves began to eat solid food within a year of birth although suckling continued for 14-37 months after birth. The pattern of food intake of mothers and calves varied substantially between suckling periods. No seasonal changes in food consumption were detected, although there were small seasonal changes in water temperature. Births occurred at various times of year, since the timing of mating varied between years. The animals' body length increased rapidly during the first 3 years of life after which the growth rate decreased. Body length reached asymptote at approximately 270 cm. Adults of both sexes weighed around 260 kg. The relationship between standard body length (in cm) and body mass (in kg), although based on a small sample size (n = 16), can be expressed as body mass = 17.261e(0.0156(body length-100)). Animals weighing 155-225 kg consumed between 2 and 4% of their body mass per day.