Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
What price are you willing to pay for food? As humans, we face this challenge each time we shop, but for some seals and dolphins this may be a life or death decision.
Modern medical scanning reveals the steep price some marine mammals are willing to pay for food, after a stranded fur seal was discovered with more than a dozen facial wounds inflicted by its seafood prey.
The extreme dangers facing hungry marine mammals are revealed in a new study published in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, led by marine biologist Dr. David Hocking from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences.
"Marine mammals like whales, seals and dolphins need to eat seafood to survive," Dr. Hocking said. "But, we seldom consider what the fish think of this situation. Obviously, they are less than enthusiastic about being eaten, and some of them have evolved elaborate defence systems to help them fight off would-be predators."
Journal Information: DP Hocking et al, Inferring diet, feeding behaviour and causes of mortality from prey-induced injuries in a New Zealand fur seal, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (2020). DOI: 10.3354/dao03473
(Score: 3, Interesting) by drussell on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:36PM
Good question... :)
It is surprisingly loud. Must be snapping fast enough to cause some cavitation, bubbles forming and re-dissolving quickly?
I really don't know... Any thoughts?
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:25PM
Especially unemployed seals. And then this to add injury to insult . . .
Do those prey animals have no compassion for the hungry seals?
In the headline change the word "hungry" to "horny" and the prey animals might be more enthusiastic.
What doesn't kill me makes me weaker for next time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:14PM (1 child)
It proves their no so smart after all. Grow some fuching hands if your so advanced, idiot! Way over-rated, dolphins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:40PM
You're jealous because you can't hold your breath for half an hour while going down.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @05:26PM (2 children)
This has been known for... Well, as long as people have been catching fish.
How is this news to a marine biologist? Did he think the spines were for decoration?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @06:30PM
Nah is simply the evolution of academia. Publish poor, pre perishable persuasions, profit perchance.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @09:33PM
It's like they might have anticipated such questions and answered them before you even asked. Weird.