Swimming activity of captive Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi (Rockhopper Penguin) in Underwater World Langkawi

Abstract

Swimming behaviors of captive Rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi) was studied at Underwater World Langkawi. This study monitors the daily (short term) behavioural repertoires of species specific behaviour and the effect of moulting period. It was done from early November 2006 to early December 2006. Six individual (2 males and 4 females) were observed and data was collected for two weeks. The purpose of this study are to compare the frequencies of swimming behaviour between morning and evening, to investigate the preference of swimming pattern in individual or group, and to study the effect of moulting season on swimming behaviour. The Kruskal-Wallis k­ sample test showed that there are no significant differences between the swimming types in behaviour pattern according to time and individual where Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi has active swimming behaviour in the evening (N = 1116) compared to morning (N = 599).