Pantropical spotted dolphin  (Stenella attenuata)

Authentication

Authenticated (17/11/08) by William F. Perrin, Senior Scientist for Marine Mammals, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Centre.
http://swfsc.noaa.gov

Glossary

  • Bycatch: in fisheries, the part of the catch made up of non-target species.
  • Crustaceans: diverse group of arthropods (a phylum of animals with jointed limbs and a hard chitinous exoskeleton) characterised by the possession of two pairs of antennae, one pair of mandibles (parts of the mouthparts used for handling and processing food) and two pairs of maxillae (appendages used in eating, which are located behind the mandibles). Includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, slaters, woodlice and barnacles.
  • Dorsal fin: the unpaired fin found on the back of the body of fish, or the raised structure on the back of most cetaceans.
  • Gestation: the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth.
  • Melon: a lump of fatty tissue that forms the bulging forehead of toothed cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), thought to focus sound during echolocation.
  • Promiscuous: mating with more than one individual without forming any permanent bonds.
  • Subspecies: a population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

References

  1. IUCN Red List (November, 2008)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org
  2. Perrin, W. (2008) Pantropical spotted dolphin. In: Perrin, W.F., Würsig, B. and Thewissen, J.G.M. (Eds) Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Second Edition.Academic Press, London.
  3. CITES (April, 2008)
    http://www.cites.org
  4. Jefferson, T.A., Leatherwood, S. and Webber, M.A. (1993) FAO Species Identification Guide. Marine Mammals of the World.FAO, Rome.
  5. Reeves, R.R., Smith, B.D., Crespo, E.A. and Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. (2003) Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002–2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans.IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
  6. Gerrodette, T. (2008) Tuna-dolphin issue. In: Perrin, W.F., Würsig, B. and Thewissen, J.G.M. (Eds) Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals Second Edition.Academic Press, London.
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