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Yummy yummy yummy
in my tummy!
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Atlantic spotted dolphins spend
most of their time searching for food. These dolphins are
predators that eat fish (they love herring and tuna), squid, eels, and
other invertebrates. Atlantic spotted dolphins eat as a pod
(meaning they hunt and eat together). Atlantic spotted dolphins
swallow their prey whole and head first. They do not chew like
people do because their teeth are designed for grasping and tearing, not
chewing. These dolphins are not your ordinary predators. In
fact, they are extremely smart predators. For instance, if their
prey is too big to swallow head first, they will rub it on the sea floor
to break it up or even use teamwork to eat it. The
offspring learn how to hunt and eat by watching their parents and having
their parents teach them the ways of surrounding the prey and attacking
it.
These dolphins also like to follow fishing boats that capture tuna or
herring because it helps them find the prey in a easier fashion.
When these dolphins follow the boats, there are good and bad
consequences. Atlantic spotted dolphins have been known to lead
fishermen to large schools of fish and they can even lead the fish to
the nets. These dolphins can get caught in the nets sometimes.
Most fishermen will help the dolphins get out of the nets alive, but not
all fishermen are this nice. When the dolphins steal the fish from
the nets, the fishermen can get very angry. Sometimes, if this
happens, they kill the dolphins!
Atlantic spotted dolphins have a
closed circulatory system that transports the nutrients gained from
eating the fish or other types of prey. These nutrients are then
stored as blubber. Blubber to dolphins is what fat is to humans.
It is a nutrient storage compartment that can be used when necessary to
provide nutrients and energy to the organism.
Go back home
See how they reproduce
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