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Fishery Bulletin 90(3|. 1992 



Feeding behavior was observed with equal frequency 

 in both the pre- and postbiopsy samples. Those animals 

 engaged in feeding activity showed virtually no reac- 

 tion to the biopsy attempt. A hard tail flick was never 

 observed from an animal engaged in feeding activity, 

 although it was observed during all other prebiopsy 

 behavioral modes. Logging (resting) behavior was also 

 displayed equally in both sample periods; however, 

 whales logging when biopsied were observed to tem- 

 porarily interrupt their logging period immediately 

 following the biopsy. 



Special cases 



Two special cases of behavior modification were noted 

 in conjunction with the biopsy procedure. Both involved 

 the monofilament retrieval line becoming briefly 

 snagged around one of the flukes of the whale. These 

 represent the most vigorous and prolonged reactions 

 to the biopsy procedure we observed. 

 In one case, for a period of time after the biopsy 



strike (~ 16 min) the line remained looped around the 

 tip of one fluke of the tail and the animal behaved 

 abnormally, swimming at elevated speeds (6-7 knots) 

 in a roughly S-figured course. Although visually esti- 

 mated, this speed appears higher when compared with 

 values reported above. Another whale accompanied 

 this animal in its vigorous swimming. 



SI4 exhibited another unusual reaction after a biopsy 

 (at a different time than the reaction reported for the 

 same individual in Table 9). This whale had been 

 associated with CRl during the day of the biopsy ef- 

 fort; 40 min prior to the first strike of SI4, CRl was 

 sampled with little reaction. When SI4 was first struck 

 by the biopsy dart its reaction was also minimal, but 

 a tissue sample was not obtained. The next shot (29 

 min later) missed the whale, but involved a momentary 

 snag of the line on the animal's tail stock. In response, 

 the animal started to trumpet blow with increasing fre- 

 quency but remained stationary and was easily ap- 

 proached. A third firing of the biopsy dart 1 1 min later 

 was successful in obtaining a tissue sample. 



