During 1984-89, lengths were recorded for 431 

 Texas strandings during the months January-June. The 

 1984-89 length-frequency distribution (by 10cm 

 intervals) is shown in Figure 6 and the 1990 January- 

 June length-frequency distribution is shown in Figure 

 7. Based on the 1984-89 distribution pattern, the 

 length data was separated into three groups: < 140cm, 

 > 139cm to <230cm, >229cm. Contingency table 

 analysis indicated that the differences between the 

 1984-89 and the 1990 distributions were significant 

 (X^= 13.66, p<0.01). The largest differences are in the 

 first two groups, with proportionally half as many 

 < 140cm during 1990, and proportionally about 30% 

 fewer of > 139cm to <230cm. The proportion in the 

 last group, those > 229cm was nearly the same (1984- 

 89, 45%; 1990, 50%). 



Figmc 6: Length frequency distribution, based on 

 lOcm intervals, of 1984-89 January-June Texas 

 bottlenose dolphin strandings. 



Historically, 88% of the yearly strandings of 

 animals < 140cm occurred during January- June; during 

 1990 over 95% stranded during those months. About 

 30% of the January-June 1984-89 strandings were 

 < 140cm. During 1990 for the same months, 15% of 

 the strandings were < 140cm. This is the lowest 

 proportion observed, except for 1985. However, only 

 35 strandings were recovered during 1985, and only 31 

 were measured (4 were < 140cm). The proportion of 

 stranded animals measuring < 140cm has been 

 decreasing since 1986 (Figure 8). 



Figure 7: Length frequency dislribution, based on 

 lOcm intervals, of Tecas 1990 January-June 

 bottlenoce dolphin strandings. 



Figure & Comparison of proportions 



by length (< 140cm and >- 140cm) 

 and year of Tescas January-June 

 1984-90 bottlenose dolphin 

 strandings. 



Males accounted 

 for 58% of the Texas 

 strandings with sex and 

 length information 

 during January-June, 1984-89. During this same period, males 

 accounted for 73% of the strandings < 140cm. Overall, during 

 this period, the ratio of males to females has ranged from 

 1.00:0.45 to 0.85:1.00, while the ratio of males to females for 

 animals < 140cm has ranged from 1.00:0.18 to 1.00:0.55 

 (Appendix III). During January-June 1990, males accounted 

 for 68% of the strandings < 140cm. The ratio of males to 

 females during this period was 1.00:0.98 while the ratio of 

 males to females for animals < 140cm was 1.00:0.46. Although 

 the percentage of females < 140cm stranding during 1990 was 

 somewhat less than the 1984-89 percentage (5% vs 7%), the 



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