Function of socializing behavior in sperm whales

• Project/Area Number: 15K07225
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: AMANO Masao 長崎大学, 水産・環境科学総合研究科(水産), 教授 (50270905)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SATO Katsufumi 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 教授 (50300695)
• Research Collaborator: AOKI Kagari ; KOBAYASHI Hayao
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
• Keywords: 動物社会 / 社会行動 / マッコウクジラ / ハクジラ類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The behavioral and social studies on male sperm whales off Goto Islands revealed that these sperm whales were smaller, more social, and spent more time in socializing at the surface than male whales observed in Nemuro Strait at higher latitude. These results indicate social whales tend to socialize long and frequently, and suggest affiliative social behavior is important to maintain long-term social relationships.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] Dalhousie University(Canada)
• [Presentation] Habitat use of two sympatric deep-diving odontocetes―are their niches partitioned? (2017)
  • Author(s): Amano, M., Kobayashi, H., Kusumoto, K.
  • Organizer: The 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Long-term social relationships among male sperm whales. (2017)
  • Author(s): Kobayashi, H., Amano, M.
  • Organizer: The 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Socio-ecology of young male sperm whales off Goto Islands. (2017)
  • Author(s): Kobayashi, H., Amano, M.
  • Organizer: The 11th International Workshop on the Oceanography and Fisheries Science of the East China Sea
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 個体間関係からみた採餌域におけるオスのマッコウクジラの分布様式 (2016)
  • Author(s): 小林駿、天野雅男
  • Organizer: 日本哺乳類学会2016年度大会
  • Place of Presentation: 筑波大学（茨城県つくば市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-23
• [Presentation] 3-dimensional daily habitat use pattern of sperm whales in the Nemuro Strait, Japan. (2015)
  • Author(s): Amano, M., Aoki, K., Minamikawa, S., Sato, K., Kobayashi, H., Kubodera, T.
  • Organizer: 21st Biennnial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
  • Place of Presentation: Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, USA.
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-13
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] How does group size decrease with growth in male sperm whale? (2015)
  • Author(s): Kobayashi, H., Amano, M
  • Organizer: 21st Biennnial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
  • Place of Presentation: Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, USA.
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-13
  • Int'l Joint Research