COMMERSONS DOLPHIN

Cephalorhynchus Commersonii

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Commerson's Dolphin

Also known as the

Skunk Dolphin Piebald Dolphin Panda Dolphin

The Commerson's dolphin is one of 36 members of the Delphinidae family.

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Anatomy

It has a black head, dorsal n, and uke, with a white throat and body Commerson's dolphins exhibit sexual dimorphism, as the female is typically larger than the male. They are able to move their head in most directions. This dolphin average 3.9-5.6 ft. and weigh up to 190 lb.

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Anatomy

Blood circulation in the pectoral ippers adjusts to help maintain body temperature. Glands at the inner corners of the eye sockets secrete an oil that lubricates the eyes

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Anatomy

They have approximately 29 to 30 pairs of pointed teeth in the upper and lower jaws. The rostrum and mandible are long and robust and the melon is small and acid

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Habitat

Most sightings are in the coastal regions near the mouths of bays and estuaries. There are two populations separated by 130 of longitude, or 8,500 km.

The larger population is found in the Strait of Magellan and near the Falkland Islands

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Habitat

They live in cold shallow waters, with temperatures ranging from 1 C to 16 C They prefer waters less than 656 ft. deep

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Behavior

Commerson's Dolphins are very active and very fast swimmers. They are typically found alone or in small groups and on rare occasions have been observed in groups of 100 or more individuals.

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Behavior

The majority of sightings occurred when the dolphins approached boats They are considered playful swimmers and often swim on their back

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Feeding

Commersons Dolphins consume many types of shes, krill, squid, cuttlesh, crab and shrimp. These dolphins are primarily carnivores but are often opportunistic coastal feeders.

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Feeding

Commerson's dolphins are sometimes seen feeding alone, but they are commonly observed cooperatively feeding. An adult eat about 10% of their body weight in food daily.

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Reproduction

Males reach sexual maturity at between 6-9 years and females between 5 and 9 years. Gestation period is about 12 months. The calves are born in the austral spring and early summer.

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Reproduction

The calf range from 0.5 to 0.75 m in length and weigh 4.5 to 7.3 kg. Commerson's dolphins generally live less than 10 years in the wild and around 18 years in captivity.

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Threats

Natural predators may include killer whales, sharks and even leopard seals. The Commerson's dolphin is the cetacean species most frequently taken in shing nets off the coast of southern South America.

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Threats

Some pollutants enter the ocean food chain and become concentrated in the bodies of Commerson's dolphins and other marine predators. The IUCN lists Commerson's Dolphin as Data Decient in its Red List of Threatened Species About two dozen Commerson's Dolphins live in aquariums around the world
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