Cetacean café coronary

Abstract

The carcass of a young adult male Indian Ocean Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops cf aduncus) was found floating in an estuary near Adelaide, South Australia. An autopsy revealed that death had been caused by obstruction of the upper aerodigestive tract by a 660 mm Cobbler Carpetshark (Sutorectus tentaculatus). Similar airway obstruction in humans while feeding has been termed café coronary syndrome. Although death may have merely resulted from over-enthusiastic feeding, the possibility of neurological impairment was considered, and limited toxicological analyses of tissues was undertaken. No increase in organochlorine pesticides was found, however the possibility of heavy metal poisoning was not excluded. Formal neuropathology was unable to be undertaken. When sudden death in other mammal species mimics cases that are found in humans, similar underlying mechanisms may be present.