Live Strandings of Feresa attenuata along the Texas Coast
IAAAM Archive
Gregory L. Schwab
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX

On October 3, 1985, a single pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) (C82) stranded alive on St. Jose island near Port Aransas, Texas. This was followed on December 1, 1985, by a group stranding of the same species near the same location. The group stranding was comprised of one female (C89) and two males (C88, C90); all three individuals beached alive. Species identification was based on body coloration, conformation, morphometrics and tooth counts. These beachings were unusual since only one stranding of this species has been reported in Texas; this is the first documented record of live strandings of this species along the Texas coast. Age estimates (based on dentin layers) were 15 years (C82), 12 years (C88), 15+ years (C89) and 1.2 years (C90). A total of 6 corpora albicantia were counted for each of the two females; neither was pregnant. Significant necropsy findings included a hemoglobinuria (C82) and bilateral bronchopnuemonia in conjunction with a severe Nasitrema sp. infestation of both pterygoid sinuses in association with a brain lesion (C89).

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Gregory L. Schwab
Texas A & M University
College Station, Texas


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