Social Organization and Feeding
habits
Like other porpoises, Vaquita generally are found alone or in small
groups, usually of two to four individuals, though there have been
reports of groups of up to eight or ten animals. The Vaquita is
shy and does not approach boats. This characteristic, along with
the fact that they surface to breathe only a very short time every
three or four minutes, make it very difficult to observe them in
the wild.
Feeding habits
Information about the feeding habits of Vaquita has been obtained
from analyses of the stomach contents of some Vaquitas found stranded
or captured incidentally. The following fish were found in the analyzed
stomachs: croakers (Orthopristis reddingi), bairdiella corvineta
(Bairdiella icistia), and the remains of squid. These species are
abundant in the upper Gulf of California. Otoliths of unidentified
fish species, complete specimens of anchovy and sardines, and crab
remains were also found in the stomachs of Vaquita.
It is possible that the abundant resources of the upper Gulf are
sufficient to support all the species of cetaceans that occur there.
Nevertheless, there may be competition for food between Vaquita
and dolphins, as well as between Vaquita and sea lions, which also
feed on croakers and bairdiella corvinetas, as well as many other
species.
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