Differences in echolocation click patterns of the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

In an echolocation experiment, the target detection performance of a beluga and a bottlenose dolphin were similar, but each produced different patterns of echolocation click trains. The beluga emitted three different patterns of echolocation clicks. A pattern I click train started with low‐amplitude clicks, followed by packets of clicks. A packet contained several clicks with interclick intervals less than the two‐way travel time to the target; the interpacket intervals were greater than the two‐way travel time. A pattern II click train consisted of a combination of individual clicks, some with intervals less than and some greater than the two‐way travel time. This pattern did not contain packets. The third pattern of click trains consisted of individual clicks with interclick intervals less than the two‐way travel time. However, the bottlenose dolphin always emitted clicks with interclick intervals greater than the two‐way travel time. These differences in click patterns suggest that the beluga has a dif...