Illustrated cross-sectional computed tomography of the cetacean abdomino-pelvic organs.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive diagnostic imaging modality which can be used to study the anatomy and morphology of live or deceased animals in-situ. In cetaceans, existing CT anatomy studies mostly focused on the head and thoracic regions. Using postmortem CT (PMCT) scans of Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides), this study describes the cross-sectional imaging anatomy of the cetacean abdomino-pelvic organs for the first time.

An Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) severely injured by vessel collision: live rescue at sea, clinical care, and postmortem examination using a virtopsy-integrated approach.

Background: Vessel collision induces blunt and sharp force traumas to aquatic animals and is a leading anthropogenic impact affecting cetaceans worldwide. Vessel collision is an important threat affecting vulnerable coastal cetaceans such as the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) which reside in coastal waters of Hong Kong amongst heavy marine traffic.

Case Presentation: A severely injured subadult S.

First Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Observation of Epimeletic Behavior in Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins.

Epimeletic behavior has been reported in various species of cetaceans and sometimes in wild populations during vessel-based surveys. Epimeletic behavior in cetaceans involves complex social interactions which have been described using observational and acoustic studies. The recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology allowed its application in wildlife research and frequently in cetaceans in conjunction with vessel-based surveys.