Everything about The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin totally explained
The
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin (
Lagenorhynchus acutus) is a distinctively coloured
dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North
Atlantic Ocean.
Taxonomy
The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin was named by Gray in 1828. The specific name
acutus comes from the
Latin for 'pointed' and refers to the sharply pointed
dorsal fin.
L. acutus is one of six oceanic dolphins in the genus
Lagenorhynchus.
Physical description
The dolphin is slightly larger than most other oceanic dolphins. It is just over a metre in length at birth, growing to about 2.8m (males) and 2.5m (females) at maturity. It weighs between 200kg and 230kg once fully-grown. Females reach sexual maturity at between 6 and 12 years, and males between 7 and 11 years. The gestation period is 11 months and lactation lasts for about a year and a half - both typical figures for dolphins. Individuals are known to live for up to 22 years (males) and 27 years (females).
The key distinguishing feature is the white to pale yellow patch found behind the dorsal fin of the dolphin on each side. This variation in colour to the Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is unique amongst the mixtures of white, greys and blues of other pelagic
cetaceans. The rest of the body's coloration is well demarcated: the chin, throat and belly are white; the flippers,
dorsal fin and back are dark grey to black with the exception of the yellow patch; there's a further white patch below the dorsal fin, lying above a light grey stripe that runs from the beak, above the eye and down to the tail stock.
Dolphin group sizes vary by location, with groups averaging 60 in number close to the
Newfoundland shores, but rather smaller east of
Iceland. From the analysis of the
stomach contents of stranded animals, fish such as
herring and
mackerel and
squid appear to form the species' main diet. The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is fairly acrobatic and keen to interact with boats, however it isn't as wildly gregarious as the
White-beaked and
Common Dolphins.
Population and distribution
The species is endemic to the North Atlantic Ocean. Areas of particularly high population density include the shores of Newfoundland and
Cape Cod, the triangular area of sea between the
United Kingdom,
Iceland and
Greenland and the
North Sea. The total population is believed to be 200-300,000 individuals.
Human interaction
Historically, Atlantic White-sided Dolphins were killed in drives conducted from Norway and Newfoundland. These have ceased in recent years, although they still occur to a lesser extent from the
Faroe Islands, where the meat and blubber are in high regard as food.
Reported catches in the years from 1995 to 1998 were 157, 152, 350, and 438, respectively (Bloch and Olsen 1998, 1999; Bloch et al. 1997, 2000). In 2002, the number reported killed was 774.
Further Information
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