座头鲸利用气泡网捕食

时间：2011-06-26 06:13:30

（单词翻译:单击）

Marine1 biologist David Wiley of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric2 Administration (NOAA) and others report in the latest issue of Behaviour (Volume 148, Nos. 5-6) how humpback whales（座头鲸） in the Gulf3 of Maine catch prey4 with advanced water technology. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are large baleen5 whales（须鲸） (up to 14 m long) that feed on a small prey in dense6 concentrations, such as krill（磷虾） or herrings（鲱鱼） . Humpbacks whales have large flukes relative to their size providing greater thrust for quick maneuvers7. While other baleen whales feed by swimming rapidly forward, humpbacks are adapted for fine-scale movement to create bubble nets.

Behaviorally, humpback whales capture prey by engaging in complex feeding maneuvers that are often accompanied by the apparently8 directed use of air bubble clouds (the production of single or multiple bursts of seltzer-sized bubbles) to corral or herd9 fish. These whales create bubble nets to corral and contain planktonic10（浮游生物的） prey into a small area so that they can more efficiently11 scoop12 them up in their large filter-feeding mouths. Based on surface observations, these bubble-feeding behaviors appear to vary in nature among both individuals and regions. To learn more about how these whales use bubble nets in feeding David Wiley and colleagues attached digital suction cup（吸盘） tags to whales that recorded depth and orientation13 in 3D, allowing the scientists to recreate three dimensional images of whale swimming behavior and bubble release. The data revealed the release of bubbles while swimming in upward spirals and during a novel behavior called "double-loops" not previously14 known (see figure). Double-loops consist of one upward spiral to corral（捕捉） the prey, a smack15 of the fluke on the ocean surface (known as a "lobtail") then a second upward lunge（刺，跃进） to capture the corralled prey. This sequence of tools and targeting of prey seems as complex as the tool use of apes in the forest. The study also reports that humpback whales work in teams of at least two individuals and are not beyond robbing the prey from the bubble nets set up by others.


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1 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵
参考例句：
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
2 atmospheric 6eayR     
adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的
参考例句：
  • Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
  • Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。
3 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
4 prey g1czH     
n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨
参考例句：
  • Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
  • The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
5 baleen ZPey2     
n.鲸须
参考例句：
  • Other baleen whales have splash guards too,but not like this.一些须鲸物种头顶也有护住喷水孔的构造，但并不长成这样。
  • Baleen whales often appear in this region. Be careful!这一带经常有须鲸出没，要注意安全啊。
6 dense aONzX     
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
7 maneuvers 4f463314799d35346cd7e8662b520abf     
n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
  • Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句
8 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
9 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起
参考例句：
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。
10 planktonic 2c5a613b77b0c07117d54f76116dec2a     
[医] 浮游生物的
参考例句：
  • Warmer Winters: Are Planktonic Algal Populations in Sweden's Largest Lakes Affected? 暖冬：瑞典最大湖泊的浮游藻类种群是否受到影响？
  • They eat planktonic crustaceans and fish larvae. 以浮游的甲壳动物和鱼类幼体为食。
11 efficiently ZuTzXQ     
adv.高效率地，有能力地
参考例句：
  • The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
  • Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。
12 scoop QD1zn     
n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出
参考例句：
  • In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。
  • Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。
13 orientation IJ4xo     
n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍
参考例句：
  • Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
  • The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。
14 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前，先前（地）
参考例句：
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。
15 smack XEqzV     
vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍
参考例句：
  • She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
  • I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

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