White-sided dolphin
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White-sided dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus acutus ) |
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| Lagenorhynchus acutus | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1828) |
The white-sided dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus acutus ) is a short- snouted dolphin that can be found in the cold to temperate regions of the northern Atlantic .
features
With a maximum body length of 2.80 meters for the males and 2.50 meters for the females, the white-sided dolphin is a little larger than most dolphin species. It can weigh between 200 and 230 kilograms. The main characteristic of this species is the large, white to yellowish spot that begins on both sides behind the dorsal fin and runs along the flanks of the animals. The chin, throat and belly of the animals are white, the flippers , the fin and the back are dark gray to black except for the side patch. Another, smaller, white spot is also below the fin, underneath a light gray stripe runs from the snout over the eyes and the flanks to the tail stalk.
The females reach sexual maturity at six to 12 years of age, the males at seven to eleven years. The gestation period lasts eleven months and the subsequent lactation period lasts one and a half years. The male dolphins live to be a maximum of 22 years old, the female 27.
behavior
White-sided dolphins form groups that can vary in size depending on their habitat. In the area of Newfoundland, groups of around 60 animals are formed while the group size around Iceland is significantly smaller. On the basis of stomach analyzes it could be determined that the main diet of the animals consists of fish such as mackerel and herrings as well as squids . The animals are acrobatic and playful and also get close to boats to ride the bow wave , but are a bit more reserved than the common dolphin and the white-beaked dolphin .
distribution
The white-sided dolphin lives exclusively in the northern Atlantic Ocean. He lives in the coastal area of Newfoundland and Cape Cod as well as in the marine area between Great Britain , Iceland , Greenland and Norway . It can also be found in the North Sea . One assumes currently between 200,000 and 300,000 individuals.
Threat and protection
The white-sided dolphin was previously hunted in the entire area between Norway and Newfoundland, today animals are only hunted in the Faroe Islands . There are around 1000 animals a year.
Web links
- Lagenorhynchus acutus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Cetacean Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.