Simple Hector S Dolphin Food Chain

Hector s dolphins are known to live to a maximum of about 20 years.

Simple hector s dolphin food chain. Wwf ganges river dolphin a blind. Hector s dolphins have a varied diet that includes cephalopods crustaceans and small fish species. Maui s dolphin found off the west coast of north island in new zealand has recently been identified as a subspecies of hector s dolphin. Hector s dolphins are near the top of the food chain and likely play an important role in regulating local fish populations.

Marine dolphin food chain. Hector s dolphins are not too fussy about what they eat and hunt more to the size of the prey rather than actual species. They usually feeds in shallow waters with sandy bottom consuming various species of fish such as flounder red cod and mackerel complementing its diet with crabs and squid. Food chains show the transfer of energy between specific plants and animals.

Like other dolphins hector s use echolocation to find their food. The maui dolphins have distinctive grey white and black markings and a short snout. They make frequent short dives to find food such as flounder red cod crabs kahawai mackerel and squid. Here they spend their days swimming along the coastline surfacing to breathe diving to find food and playing.

During the spring and summer white fronted terns sterna striata feed with hector s dolphins likely as facultative commensalists by capturing small fish being chased by dolphins. The tuna and mackerel. Species such as red cod ahuru arrow squid sprat sole and stargazer comprise the bulk of their diet. They send out high frequency clicks that bounce off surrounding objects and fish giving the dolphins a detailed picture of their surroundings.

Hector s dolphins feed on fish and other sea creatures found in shallow water with a sandy bottom such as flounder red cod mackerel crabs and squid. Dolphins are a type of consumer called a carnivore because they eat only meat. This subspecies is the world s rarest. They are a sub species of the less endangered hector dolphins with whom they share a well rounded black dorsal.

The dolphins are a tertiary consumer in this food chain as well since they eat secondary consumers.