Non-aggressive Response by Bottlenose Dolphin to Theft of Fish by a Silver Gull

Abstract

A Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae took a fish that was being chased by a Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus in Warnbro Sound, Western Australia. Such events are uncommon, at least at this site. The dolphin made only a minor response to the loss of a single fish and made no attempt to pursue the Gull, although the Gull stayed on the surface long enough for the dolphin to respond. The trivial response by the dolphin may reflect that its energy might be better spent in catching another fish.