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Asphyxiation of an Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus Leucas

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Asphyxiation of an Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus Leucas Asphyxiation of an Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus leucas NATALIE ROUSE, KATHY A. BUREK-HUNTINGTON, and KIM E.W. SHELDEN Introduction ed the hunt (Hobbs et al., 2000, 2015). flats, large tidal fluctuations (30+ ft), In 2016, the population was estimat- and active seismic and volcanic con- The Cook Inlet beluga whale, Del- ed to be 328 whales (Shelden et al.1). tributions. Approximately 347,000 phinapterus leucas, is nonmigratory, The status of this population, with no people (about half of the population residing year-round in a semi-enclosed known cause for a continued decline, of the State of Alaska) reside adjacent tidal estuary in southcentral Alaska. elevates the need to necropsy all dead to Cook Inlet. Most cities and villages The population is genetically and spa- belugas for causes of mortality. NMFS are located on the east side, which is tially isolated from all other beluga developed a stranding response plan2 accessible by both road and rail line. populations (O’Corry-Crowe et al., for Cook Inlet belugas in 2009, autho- The west side of the inlet is sparsely 1997; Laidre et al., 2000). Once an im- rizing necropsies of dead Cook Inlet populated and is only accessible by air portant subsistence species for Alaska belugas. or boat. Natives, unregulated hunting led to a On 7 Oct. 2013, a beluga whale was substantial decline in the Cook Inlet Methods reported stranded in Turnagain Arm beluga population between 1994 and Study Area (Fig. 1). Weather prohibited examina- 1998 (Hobbs et al., 2000). The popu- tion until 9 Oct. 2013, when the car- Cook Inlet (Fig. 1) is a 180 mi long, lation has continued to decline despite 2 cass was accessed by helicopter and a hunting moratorium and co-manage- 39,325 mi mass of water bordering approached on foot. The carcass had ment agreements between the National the Gulf of Alaska and adjacent to moved west of the original stranding Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the city of Anchorage in south central location, presumably having floated Alaska Native organizations that limit- Alaska. It is characterized by shallow, and re-stranded on the outgoing tide. soft, mixed benthic sediment, mud Examination and 1 Sample Collection Natalie Rouse ([email protected]) is Shelden, K. E. W., R. C. Hobbs, C. L. Sims, with the Alaska SeaLife Center, 301 Railway L. Vate Brattström, J. A. Mocklin, C. Boyd, and B. A. Mahoney. 2017. Aerial surveys, abun- The examination included external, Ave., Seward, AK 99664; Kathy Burek-Hun- subcutaneous, respiratory, digestive, tington is with Alaska Veterinary Pathology dance, and distribution of beluga whales (Del- Service, 23834 The Clearing Dr., Eagle River, phinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, lymphoid, urogenital, reproductive, AK 99577; and Kim Shelden is with the Marine June 2016. AFSC Processed Rep. 2017-09, and endocrine systems. Representative Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science 62 p. Available at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/ Center, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way Publications/ProcRpt/PR2017-09.pdf. tissues from all body systems were N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. 2Stranding Response Plan avail. at https://alas- collected fresh (and later frozen at kafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/beluga_ -20°C) and also fixed in formalin for stranding_plan2009.pdf, accessed 25 Apr. 2016. doi: https://doi.org/10.7755/MFR.79.2.3 histological examination. Bacteriology tests were performed on blowhole and fecal swabs (Athens Vet Diagnostic 3 ABSTRACT—The isolated population of by a starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus, Lab ) and virological tests were con- Cook Inlet beluga whales, Delphinapterus found lodged in the pharynx at the goose ducted for agents such as herpes vi- leucas, is endangered under the U.S. En- beak, dislocating the larynx. Prey anatomy rus, influenza, and mobillivirus. Teeth dangered Species Act (ESA). They reside such as spines, body shape, and backbone were aged by D. Vos4 and stomach year-round in the Cook Inlet tidal estuary rigidity may increase the risk of choking in contents were analyzed by the Alaska in southcentral Alaska, near Anchorage. beluga whales and other cetaceans. This Due to their ESA status, information on is the first known death by asphyxiation Department of Fish and Game, Arctic causes of mortality are important. A dead of the 49 Cook Inlet beluga deaths inves- beluga was reported in Turnagain Arm, tigated in the last 18 years, indicating that 3Mention of trade names or commercial firms Cook Inlet, on 7 Oct. 2013, and a nec- it is rare and not likely to be a significant does not imply endorsement by the National ropsy was performed two days later. The cause of mortality. It is important, how- Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. beluga was a robust, apparently healthy ever, to monitor and document all sources 4Teeth were aged by Daniel Vos, Anchorage, adult male ~40 years old. Cause of death of mortality given the status of this endan- AK. Growth layer groups are laid down annually was determined to be asphyxiation caused gered population. in Cook Inlet belugas. 38 Marine Fisheries Review projecting outward and lateral spines down through the esophagus. It could not be easily removed from the mouth outward. It appeared that the fish had displaced the goose beak from the nasopharynx (Fig. 3). Dark red flu- id was draining from the blowhole. The tracheal and bronchial mucosa were deeply discolored (from red to black), and covered in granular black to tan material (most likely aspirated food material). Blubber near the ven- tral midline of the cervical region was markedly discolored, red, and mottled. On cross section, some of these areas had red discoloration radiating out- ward from the muscle layer. This trau- ma appeared to be the result of fish spines in the esophagus. Cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to displacement of the goose beak by a starry floun- der, Platichthys stellatus (Fig. 4). The flounder appears to have been too large to fit into the pharynx as it was folded to the side of the goose beak and embedded into the esophagus. It could be neither regurgitated nor swal- lowed because of the direction of the spines and its size and orientation. Further evidence of choking included a large amount of aspirated material, likely digesta, in the lungs. Other findings, not related to the cause of death, included irregular lymph nodes (the prescapular was ir- regular and multinodular, and caudal mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes were greatly enlarged and mottled). Figure 1.—Initial stranding location and necropsy site for a male beluga whale that The liver had autolyzed and the spleen died of asphyxiation in Cook Inlet, Alaska, in October 2013. was congested and enlarged. Thyroid and pituitary glands were not exam- ined. The urinary bladder was not ob- Marine Mammal Program, Fairbanks, was draining from the eye, anus, and served. The intestines were discolored Alaska. preputial opening. The carcass was dark red and there was little content in mildly decomposed and largely intact Results the sections examined. Multiple, small with minimal scavenging by birds (Fig. mineralized nodules (0.5–2 cm in di- Gross Findings 2). This whale was well known, having ameter) were present in both kidneys External examination revealed an been identified in photographs every (17 in the left, 36 in the right) which 5 adult male in good body condition de- year from 2004 to 2014 (McGuire ). contained nematodes, Crassicauda gil- termined by distinct and well-devel- A large flatfish was found firmly iakiana. No parasites were observed in oped “rails” (thick folds of blubber lodged in the pharynx, near the con- the lungs. There were no other signifi- along the ventral surface) as well as striction named the “goose beak.” This cant gross findings. internally abundant blubber stores and fish was folded with the head and tail The stomach was collected intact fat at the base of the heart. The abdo- 5McGuire, Tamara. LGL Research Associates, and contained a Pacific cod, Dadus mi- men was markedly bloated and blood Anchorage, AK, Personal commun., 2016. crocephalus, otolith; Arctic lamprey, 79(2) 39 Lampetra camtschatica, mouth parts; fragments of invertebrates from poly- chaetes (Polynoidae) and Nereis sp.; and shrimp (Crangonidae); and a few nematodes. Histopathologic and Ancillary Findings Laboratory results of blowhole swabs were negative for influenza vi- rus, but positive for beluga herpesvi- rus. Beluga herpesvirus is endemic in Cook Inlet beluga whales (Burek- Huntington et al., 2015; Davison et al., 2017) and does not cause symptoms in healthy animals and no symptoms (e.g., skin lesions) were observed. There was some intermyofiber fibrosis in the heart, particularly the left ven- tricle. This has been seen quite fre- quently in older belugas and appears to be a change that comes about as the animal ages. Subsequent aging of the teeth determined that this whale was a 4 40 yr old adult (Vos ). The prescapu- Figure 2.—Ventral and dorsal surfaces of the male beluga whale (2013-CIB-04) lar lymph node was in good histologic prior to start of the necropsy. condition and did show a pyogranu- Figure 3.—Internal damage caused by displacement of the goose beak during ingestion of a flounder by a male beluga whale (2013-CIB-04). Solid arrows (on right) indicated the ventral hemorrhage in the esophagus. Open arrows (at left) indicate the goose beak and position of the flounder. 40 Marine Fisheries Review amount of debris, including some skel- etal muscle (possibly fish), corroborat- ing that some food had been aspirated into the lungs. Overall, there was noth- ing within the histopathologic findings to indicate another cause of death oth- er than asphyxiation. Discussion In cetaceans, the anatomy of the esophagus and the trachea are com- pletely separate and no air is inhaled through the mouth.
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