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Delphinus capensis

(Long-Beaked Saddle-Backed Dolphin)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Common Dolphin, Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Long-Beaked Saddle-Backed Dolphin, Long-Beaked Saddleback Dolphin, Saddleback Dolphin

Description

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Family Delphinidae

The family Delphinidae has been called a 'taxonomic trash basket', because many small to medium-sized odontocetes of various forms have been lumped together in this group for centuries. Consequentely, the so-called delphinids are diverse in form. They range in size from 1 to 1.88 m dolphins of the genera Sotalia and Cephalorhynchus, to the killer whale , in which males can reach lengths of at least 9.8 m. However, most delphinids share the following characteristics: a marine habitat , a noticeable beak, conical teeth, and a large falcate dorsal fin set near the middle of the back. There are exceptions to everyone of these rules , except the presence of basically conical teeth.

Physical Description

Species Delphinus capensis

The Common Dolphin is slender and streamlined, with a long or short beak, depending on the geographical location. All forms vary slightly in size but are recognisable as Common Dolphins due to the tell-tale 'hourglass' pattern on each side. The dorsal cape is dark (brown, black, grey or purplish), dipping to a distinct 'V' beneath the fin . The tail stock is pale grey, darkening to black flukes . The underside is cream-white, and extends higher up the sides than in most dolphins. It is broken by one or two yellow or grey stripes that stretch from beak to beneath the 'V'-shaped dip . Another stripe - this one black - streaks from the dark flippers to the middle of the lower jaw. Higher on the sides, behind the eyes, is a yellow-tan patch which - together with the pale grey further back - forms the criss-cross 'hourglass' pattern. A dark line circles the eyes and leads to the grey-black beak, which can be white-tipped. In some geographical forms, these colours can appear to be muted, or slightly varied. There are 80-120 teeth per jaw. Common Dolphins range in size from 1.7m to 2.6m, and weigh between 70kg and 135kg.

Recognition at sea : Common Dolphins can be identified from the yellow-tan patch on either side, just behind each eye, and the dorsal cape's 'V'-shaped dip.

Habitat

Common Dolphins prefer waters with a surface temperature that is higher than 10ºC.

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -4,010 meters (0 to -13,156 feet).[1]

Biome: Marine

Ecology:
List of Habitats :9.1Marine Neritic - Pelagic 10.1Marine Oceanic - Epipelagic (0-200m)

Biology

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Diet

Common Dolphins prey on schooling fish (e.g. herring , pilchards) and squid. They have been known to adopt co-operative techniques when hunting (rather like the Orca) and have also been observed catching fish in mid-air.

Behavior

Highly social, Common Dolphins can be seen in groups of up to 2,000 animals, although units of 10-500 are more usual. Active and exuberate, they bowride, breach, somersault, flipper-slap and lobtail. When porpoising , they often cannot be seen for the froth they produce - they leap as a co-ordinated whole. Also highly vocal, their cries - whistles, pulses and clicks - can be heard above water as they play around vessels .

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Delphinus capensis F. Cuvier (Not Gray) in E. Geoffroy and Cuvier 1829
  2. Orca capensis /i> (Van Bénéden (Not Gray) 1873

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 08-Jun-2002

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Delphinus

There are approximately 187 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

D. (Delphinapterus) kingii · D. (Lagenorhynchus) fusiformis · D. (Steno) gadamu · D. (Steno) lentiginosus · D. (Steno) maculiventer · D. (Steno) perspicillatus · D. (Tursio) obscurus · D. abusalam · D. acutus · D. aduncus · D. albians · D. albicans · D. albigena · D. albimanus · D. albirostratus · D. albirostris · D. algeriensis · D. alope · D. amazonicus · D. amphitriteus · D. anarnacus · D. aries · D. asthenops · D. attenuatus · D. bairdi · D. bairdii · D. bertini · D. bicolor · D. bidens · D. bivittatus · D. blainvillei · D. boryi · D. bredanensis · D. breviceps · D. brevidens · D. brevimanus · D. brocchii · D. butskopf · D. caerulescens · D. canadensis · D. canaliculatus · D. capensis (Long-Beaked Saddle-Backed Dolphin) · D. carbonarius · D. cephalorhynchus · D. chamissonis · D. chemnitzianus · D. chilensis · D. chinensis · D. clymene · D. compressicauda · D. compressus · D. coronatus · D. cortesii · D. crotaphiscus · D. cruciger · D. cymodice · D. cymodoce · D. deductor · D. delphinus · D. delphis (Short-Beaked Saddle-Backed Dolphin) · D. delphis bairdi · D. delphis bairdii · D. delphis balteatus · D. delphis delphis (Short-Beaked Saddle-Backed Dolphin) · D. delphis fusus · D. delphis mediterranea · D. delphis moschatus · D. delphis ponticus · D. delphis tropicalis · D. delphis variegatus · D. densirostris · D. diodon · D. doris · D. dubius · D. edentulus · D. epiodon · D. erebennus · D. eschrichtii · D. euphrosyne · D. eurynome · D. eutropia · D. feres · D. fitzroyi · D. fluviatilis · D. frenatus · D. frontalis · D. frontatus · D. fulvifasciatus · D. fulvofasciatus · D. fuscus · D. fusiformis · D. gadamu · D. gangetica · D. geoffrensis · D. globiceps · D. grampus · D. grinda · D. griseus · D. guianensis · D. hamatus

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Mean = -342.660 meters (-1,124.213 feet), Standard Deviation = 937.480 based on 153 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 2009-04-24