Underwater vocalizations and associated behavior in captive ringed seals (Pusa hispida)

摘要: In pinniped species, especially those that mate in the water, acoustic communication is suggested to play an important role various aspects of behavior. However, little known about behavioral context or function vocalization, principally because direct observation difficult wild. present study, we analyzed seasonality, sexual differences, and contexts vocalizations captive ringed seals explore such communication. The behavior underwater sounds made by three (an adult male, female, a subadult female) living Otaru Aquarium, Japan, were recorded for 19 days between August 2011 April 2012. Six call types (long snort, knock, yelp, bark, click, woof) identified recordings. 12 observed social behaviors could be categorized into categories (male courtship, aggression, submission). All except clicks vocalized during Vocalizations all increased breeding season. long snorts only produced male toward female his courtship individuals emitted knocks, yelps, bark sounds. Of these types, knocks associated with aggressive male’s contrast, alternate series yelps barks recipients behaviors, suggesting their as submissive signals. This study applied monitoring wild passive recordings assess not distribution but also