Classification: Gray first described this dolphin in 1846, giving it the name Stenella attenuata. Included in this classification was the similar Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, which, after a review of the differences, is now known as the separate species Stenella frontalis. The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin is so named because it can be found all across the world.
Local Names: Spotted Dolphin; White-Spotted Dolphin; Bridled Dolphin; Spotter; Spotted Porpoise; Slender-Beaked Dolphin.
Description: This dolphin has a slender yet robust body with a long narrow beak. On the upper side, there is a dark grey dorsal cape with all dorsal fin, and on some animals there is a distinct band of mid-grey along each side from melon to tail. The undersides are pale grey with dark spots. Light spots cover the darker areas of the body. There is a dark band between the lower jaw and the flippers, which are also dark grey in colour. The lips are white, and the dark grey of the upper jaw extends to the eye. There is an average of 40 pairs of teeth per jaw. Pantropical Spotted Dolphins measure between 1.7-2.4m in length, and weigh between 90-115kg.
Recognition at sea: The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin can be identified by its spots and its two/three-part colouration along its sides.
Habitat: Pantropical Spotted Dolphins seem to prefer deep oceanic waters with a surface temperature of greater than 22ºC.
Food & Feeding: Pantropical Spotted Dolphins prey upon fish and squid which inhabit the surface/mid-water regions, in particular mackeral and flying fish.
Behaviour: There are a range of school sizes shown by the Pantropical Spotted Dolphin; these number from a few individuals to several thousand animals. They are active at the surface, and have been observed bowriding, leaping to great heights, porpoising, and lobtailling. They produce short 'whistle bursts' of less than a millisecond in duration.
Longevity: Approximately 45 years.
Estimated Current Population: Unknown.
The Influence of Man: Thousands of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins have been killed incidentally in fishing gear for the last 30 years; because of this, the population is now around half of its original size. Japan has been taking around 1,000 individuals every year as part of its shoreline harpoon fishery, as has the Solomon Islands. Though this species has been successfully kept in captivity, it does not respond well to training.
