A Survey of Cetaceans Stranded along the Northern Coast of Tunisia: Recent Findings (2005–2008) and a Short Review of the Literature

Abstract

Abstract This study reports cases of stranded cetaceans observed along the northern coast of Tunisia from December 2005 to February 2008. A total of nine toothed whales were examined, belonging to four different species: sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), and long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas). This is the first record of the latter species in the area. Biometric data of stranded animals were also recorded; teeth, tissues, and selected organs were sampled; and a postmortem examination was performed whenever the conditions allowed it. These data may provide important information on basic biology, mortality events, and cetacean-fisheries interactions along a scarcely studied Mediterranean coastline.