▁four ▁decomposition ▁stages , ▁while ▁the ▁stages ▁on ▁smaller ▁or ▁partial ▁car c ass es ▁may ▁be ▁trunc ated . ▁Sm aller ▁cet ace ans , ▁such ▁as ▁por po ises ▁and ▁dol ph ins , ▁do ▁not ▁under go ▁the ▁same ▁e colog ical ▁succession ▁stages ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁small ▁size ▁and ▁lower ▁li pid ▁content . ▁Research ers ▁believe ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁Os ed ax ▁w orm s ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁a ▁contrib uting ▁factor ▁in ▁the ▁observed ▁succ essional ▁differences . ▁ ▁Stage ▁ 1 ▁The ▁initial ▁period ▁begins ▁with ▁" mobile ▁sc av engers " ▁such ▁as ▁h ag fish ▁and ▁sle eper ▁sh arks ▁act ively ▁cons uming ▁soft ▁t issue ▁from ▁the ▁car c ass . ▁Cons umption ▁can ▁be ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁ ▁per ▁day . ▁This ▁stage ▁typically ▁last s ▁months ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 . 5 ▁years . ▁ ▁Stage ▁ 2 ▁The ▁second ▁stage ▁introdu ces ▁the ▁" en rich ment ▁opportun ists ". ▁These ▁are ▁animals ▁which ▁colon ize ▁the ▁b ones ▁and ▁surrounding ▁sed iments ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁cont amin ated ▁with ▁organ ic ▁matter ▁from ▁the ▁car c ass ▁and ▁any ▁other ▁t issue ▁left ▁by ▁the ▁sc av engers . ▁This ▁stage ▁can ▁last ▁months ▁up ▁to ▁ 4 . 5 ▁years . ▁ ▁Stage ▁ 3 ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁third ▁stage , ▁sul f oph il ic ▁b acter ia ▁an a er ob ically ▁break ▁down ▁the ▁lip ids ▁embedded ▁in ▁the ▁b ones . ▁Instead