Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1991, Page 37

STUDIES ON THE LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALE
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were taken from 5 different schools (see Ta-
ble 1).
Foetuses. The sex, length and weight of foe-
tuses were recorded. In addition to data on
the 29 foetuses sampled (see Table 1), data
on a further 34 foetuses sampled between
1958 and 1964 by J. S. Joensen, the Faroese
Fisheries Laboratory, is added (Table 3).
Some of this data has previously been used
by Frazer and Hugget (1959).
Stomachs. 74 samples of stomach contents
were taken from 4 different schools (see Ta-
ble 1). Samples of stomach contents were
taken on the beach, and then brought to the
laboratory and conserved in 70% alcohol. 3
different catches from August-September
1984 are treated by Desportes (1985).
Endoparasites. These were sampled from
stomachs and abdominal cavities and con-
served in 70% alcohol.
Weight. 7 whales were weighed whole to the
nearest kg on a lorry balance before parti-
tion took place.
Statistical analysis. The results are expressed
as mean t standard error (sem) and the
term »significant« is used solely in the
statistical sense of differences significant at
the 5% level of probability.
Results and discussion
School composition. The length frequency
distribution was obtained from 8 total
schools (Fig. 3, a-h; N = 541). The figures
show the normal picture for a species with a
polygynous social structure (Amos, Barret
and Dover, 1991) with males growing longer
Body length, cm
Body length, cm
Fig. 3. Length frequency distribution histogram for 8
different catches of long-finned pilot whales in Faroe
Islands in the period 1978 to 1985, a-h. Empty stacks
= males, filled = females. N=541.