| Bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncates, occur in two stocks, inshore and offshore ecotypes in various habitats. We report the results of two differentiation studies using hemoglobin electrophoretic profiles (n = 43) and mtDNA sequence analysis (n = 15), with the inclusion of cranial morphometrics, on stranded animals along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Blood was run on starch gels to score hemoglobin isozymes. The morphometric study found three individuals of the offshore morphotype, from none of which blood was obtained. Hemoglobin isozymes presented six banding patterns, with six showing previously unreported rare isozyme bands. Morphometrics could not further separate these inshore individuals. mtDNA sequence analysis supports morphometrics of differentiation of inshore/offshore ecotypes. mtDNA analysis does not further distinguish the Tursiops group having rare hemoglobin allozymes from the rest of the inshore population. Morphometric and mtDNA data provide accurate techniques to stock differentiation. Hemoglobin isozyme should be used with caution until further analysis can be completed. |
