Mammals · Artiodactyla · Delphinidae

Striped Dolphin

Stenella coeruleoalba

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The striped dolphin is an odontocete cetacean of the family Delphinidae. It has been widely studied, as it occurs in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. It is by far the commonest cetacean in the western Mediterranean. Its strandings account for more than 60% of all those recorded on the coasts of the north-western Mediterranean. It is a small dolphin that does not normally exceed 220 cm in maximum length. There appears to be no sexual dimorphism in size.

Weight

90 kg – 150 kg

Size

1.8 m – 2.5 m

Lifespan

55 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Ocean Mammal

88countries 18parks 80dive sites17same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt is the most abundant dolphin in the Mediterranean, forming highly acrobatic groups of hundreds.
comportamientoIt is one of the commonest and most sociable dolphins in the Mediterranean, forming large groups that often come to swim alongside boats, especially in the warmer months.
It is the most abundant dolphin in the Mediterranean, where it forms groups of dozens or hundreds of animals that often leap clear of the water together.
In 1990 an epidemic of morbillivirus, a relative of measles, killed thousands of striped dolphins from Spain to Greece, and the virus flared up again in 2007.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Deep temperate and tropical waters of every ocean, beyond the continental shelf
Sexual maturity: 7.8 years
Gestation / incubation: 11.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.5 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenella_coeruleoalba