dolphins whales community
COMMERSON'S DOLPHIN
Cephalorhynchus commersonii
Classification:
it is thought to be possibly the most plentiful species in the genus Cephalorhynchus, there are also two well known subspecies of Commerson's dolphins; C. c. commersonii off South America, around Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands, and C.c. kerguelenensis around the Kerguelen Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean.
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Appearance:
The Commerson's dolphin is small and strong; it look like a porpoise but has easily distinguishable dolphin feature and behaviour.
It has a rounded, cone-shaped, dull head and no beak; large, low, rounded dorsal fin; and flukes with a slight cut and rounded tips.
The flippers are small and rounded and the left one has tooth like thing along its tip edge, also sometime with tooth like thing on both flippers. It has a very special black and white pattern; mainly with a white and black head, face, head, dorsal fin and the flukes. They have a white throat and belly, with a black patch around the genital cut , males genital cut are like a teardrop and female are like uneven brushstock.
when calves are born they are grey, black and brown. The color will turns to black and grey as they grew to youngster, and mitigate to the the well known black and white.
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Behaviour:
Commerson's dolphins are fast and energetic swimmers. They are often seen as bow-riding, swimming upside down, and spinning in the water.
They space regularly and repeatedly, and often surf on the waves close to the shore.
They are found in small groups of lesser then 10 but can be seen seasonally in groups up to 100 for feeding or breeding.
They are highly social animals, they are often seen link with the Burmeister's porpoise, and the Peale's and Chilean dolphins.
They known as to feed on small fish, crabs, octopus, and small crustaceans in kelp beds close to shore and near the seabed.
Other names:
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Piebald dolphin
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Black and white dolphin
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Skunk dolphin
1.
Maximum length:
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Male: 1.7m
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Female: 1.7m
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Calf: 0.65m
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Maximum weight:
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Male: 86kg
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Female: 86kg
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Calf: 5.5kg
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Diet:
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Schooling fish
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Squid
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Crustaceans
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Benthic invertebrates
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Estimated population:
Unknown
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Distribution map:
Distribution:
Commerson's dolphins inhabit the waters off the coast of southern Argentina, around the Malvinas/Falkland Islands, off the south coast of Chile, and also around the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Most of the sightings are close to shore in waters less than 100m deep, also often near kelp beds. They also live in estuaries, swimming some distance upriver. Preference for being near to the shore makes them more vulnerable to becoming entangled in fishing gear and this is considered to be the major obstacle facing this species. In the past they were caught and being use as crab bait by Chilean and Argentinean fishermen, although this practice is thought to be less prevalent now.
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