Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins near Salao, Faial Island in the Azores.
Photograph by Ulrich Thumult. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin | Stenella frontalis photo

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin near Salao, Faial Island in the Azores.
Photograph by Ulrich Thumult. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin | Stenella frontalis photo

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin near Salao, Faial Island in the Azores.
Photograph by Ulrich Thumult. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHIN FACTS

Description
The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin has a dark back with pale spots and a white belly with dark spots. The calves have no spots at birth, and begin to develop spots about the time that they are weaned. The number of spots increases with age. The beak is long and narrow. It has 30-42 teeth on each side of the upper and lower jaws.

Size
Length 1.7m - 2.3m. Weight up to 143kg.

Environment
coastal waters on continental shelf and in shallows over sand flats

Food
small fish, eels, squid and invertebrates

Breeding
A single calf is born after a gestation period of 11-12 months. Calves are usually born in May and September.

Range
tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean

Conservation Status
The conservation status in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "data deficient".

Classification

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea
Family:	Delphinidae
Genus:	Stenella
Species:	frontalis
Common Name:	Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Relatives in same Genus
  Pantropical Spotted Dolphin (S. attenuata)
  Clymene Dolphin (S. clymene)
  Striped Dolphin (S. coeruleoalba)
  Spinner Dolphin (S. longirostris)

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