Investigating the Predation Risk of Coastal Dolphins via the Presence of Shark Bite Scars Across Southeast Queensland, Australia

Georgina V Hume; Alexis L Levengood; Gemma L Webster; Kathy A Townsend; Victor M Peddemors; Bonnie J Holmes

doi:10.1002/ece3.73691

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Investigating the Predation Risk of Coastal Dolphins via the Presence of Shark Bite Scars Across Southeast Queensland, Australia

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Investigating the Predation Risk of Coastal Dolphins via the Presence of Shark Bite Scars Across Southeast Queensland, Australia

Georgina V Hume, Alexis L Levengood, Gemma L Webster, Kathy A Townsend, Victor M Peddemors and Bonnie J Holmes

Ecology and Evolution, Vol.16(6), pp.1-14

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73691

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Abstract

predator avoidance

predator-prey interactions

shark-inflicted injuries

Sousa sahulensis

Tursiops aduncus

Predation and its risk influence the ecology and evolution of both predator and prey species. Despite this, predatory attempts of large apex sharks on cetaceans often remain unobserved, constraining empirical assessments of their frequency and ecological significance. Shark bite scars can be used as an indirect measure to quantify predation risk on dolphins and may reveal species-specific and spatial patterns of predator–prey interactions. Here, we analysed photographs of coastal dolphins in southeast Queensland, Australia to compare predation risk between multiple dolphin species across differing habitats. Using fresh wounds, bites were mainly attributed to tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) and white (Carcharodon carcharias) sharks, with the peduncle being the most bitten body region across all species. Shark bite scarring differed between species: 50.3% of Australian humpback (Sousa sahulensis), 27.7% of Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) and 38.5% of common bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) exhibited scars. Dolphins had more scars in sheltered waters (42.6%) compared to open waters (16.3%). Generalised linear models confirmed S. sahulensis were more susceptible to predation attempts, with non-calves in sheltered waters most at risk. These findings provide a baseline for current predation risk across multiple habitats of sympatric dolphin species in Queensland, providing insight into drivers of the predator–prey interactions.

Details

Title: Investigating the Predation Risk of Coastal Dolphins via the Presence of Shark Bite Scars Across Southeast Queensland, Australia
Authors: Georgina V Hume (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Alexis L Levengood - University of the Sunshine Coast
Gemma L Webster - University of the Sunshine Coast
Kathy A Townsend - University of the Sunshine Coast
Victor M Peddemors - Sydney Institute of Marine Science
Bonnie J Holmes - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Ecology and Evolution, Vol.16(6), pp.1-14
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.73691
ISSN: 2045-7758
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Grant note: This work was supported by University of the Sunshine Coast, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment & Ecological Society of Australia, Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Trust, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Ethel Mary Read Research Grant and the CID Foundation.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991233296802621
Output Type: Journal article

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