One native to South America and the other only inhabits the Kerguelen Islands. The lower jaw and the belly are completely white except for a black oval or heart-shaped spot around the genital slits. Calves are tiny at birth. Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) Commerson’s Dolphin is one of four dolphins in the Cephalorhynchus genus. Females are larger than males. With an appearance small and fat, this cetacean could resemble a porpoise without considering its color pattern. They have 21 to 25 inches in length and 10 to 12 pounds of weight. Skin Coloration. They are known for their high-speed swimming, reaching up to 11 - 13 km/h. by Dolphins-World | Apr 25, 2017 | Species |. Commerson's dolphin often hunts cooperatively. Commerson's dolphin can swim at the speed of 7-8 miles per hour. Commerson's dolphin has 29 to 30 teeth on the each side of lower and upper jaw (they have 116 to 120 teeth in total). One native to South Am… Interesting Commerson's dolphin Facts: Commerson's dolphin is small animal that can reach 4 to 5 ½ feet in length and 75 to 130 pounds in weight. – Habitat Contamination. Academic Press, 2015. Commerson’s Dolphin has a very distinctive patterning. Order: Cetacea Head, fins, flippers and rear part of Commerson's dolphin are black. Diet of Commerson's dolphin includes various types of fish, crustaceans, octopuses and squids. It is one of the four members of the genus Cephalorhynchus, a group of dolphins very attractive because of the coloring patterns of their skin.It was named “Commerson” in honor of Philibert Commerson, the French naturalist who described this dolphin for the first time. The species has also the common names Skunk Dolphin and Piebald Dolphin. The Commerson’s dolphin lives in waters close to shallow coasts with temperatures ranging from 1° C to 16° Celsius. They typically live in groups ranging from just a few individuals to more than 100. Commerson's dolphin reaches sexual maturity at the age of 5 to 8 years. It has a curious and playful behavior which even use garbage as toy although it has also been seen pushing objects away. Groups usually consist of 15 members. This dolphin is in Appendix II of CITES, which houses potentially endangered species whose catch require regulation. Affiliate Disclaimer AnimalCorner.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It often leaps out of the water and spins in the air. A pod can be as small as 1-3 members, or as large as 100 or more individuals. A small population dwells in the waters around the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean. The color pattern of the Commerson’s dolphin confuses most of its predators, that is, it functions as camouflage. At two months of age, it begins to eat solid foods with the help of its mother and, after nine months is weaned. Commerson's dolphin can live solitary life or be part of the group (called pod). It has a black head, dorsal fin, and fluke, with a white throat and body. Algae can be on the menu also. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, on its Red List, has classified this species as “Data Deficient” which does not mean that this species is out of danger, but that this organization does not have enough information to assess its conservation status. They swim quickly reaching speeds of 11 to 13 kilometers per hour. These animals are sometimes called skunk or panda dolphins because of the specific coloration of the body. Number of Commerson's dolphins decreased in the wild due to pollution of the ocean, by-catch (they end up trapped in the fishing nets) and as a result of increased boat traffic. Hake, sardines, silversides, anchovies, crustaceans, cephalopods, marine worms and occasionally seaweed are present on the menu. The Best 20 Gallon Fish Tank Guide – 2020, The Best Aquarium Vacuum Buyers Guide – 2020, The Best Goldfish Food Buyers Guide – 2020, The Best Aquarium Rock Buyers Guide – 2020. There are still no specific conservation efforts, and detailed research on the causes of incidental mortality is still needed. Males and females copulate belly with a belly in an upright position. Jefferson, Webber, Pitman. Commerson’s dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii. Mating season of Commerson's dolphin takes place from September to February. People hunt Commerson's dolphins because of their meat, skin and oil. The diet of the Commerson’s dolphin is composed of benthic and pelagic prey. The Commerson’s dolphin is also known as the skunk dolphin or panda dolphin. – Bycatch. Sometimes these dolphins feed alone or more commonly they can be observed in cooperative feeding. Commerson's dolphin has fast metabolism and big appetite. It is present near the coasts of these countries and around the Falkland Islands, the Strait of Magellan, Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego, and near the Patagonia. They gather fish in tight groups and catch their next meal by passing through these concentrated masses of fish. – Tourism that disturbs its habitat. It sometimes swims upside down. Commerson's dolphins are migratory species that follow fish from cold to warm waters during the winter period. Commerson's dolphin has stocky body, unnoticeable beak and rounded flippers. Commerson's dolphins are very social animals. It also associates with porpoises and other species of dolphins given the social versatility this species has. It was named “Commerson” in honor of Philibert Commerson, the French naturalist who described this dolphin for the first time. Genus: Cephalorhynchus. For this cetacean, it is not a problem to swim in tight bodies of water or high currents. It eats 10% of its own weight every day. Head, fins, flippers and rear part of Commerson's dolphin are black. The shape of its body is more conical than fusiform in the front, but it has a large head, round, with the forehead tilted and devoid of a visible “beak.” The dorsal fin is small and rounded. The Commerson’s dolphin feeds and reproduces in groups, but it forms small pods. There are two subspecies of Commerson's dolphin that can be found on the southern coast of South America and around Kerguelen Islands. A black band also joins the flippers, and the black color extends again from the dorsal fin to the back covering the tail but not the sides, just in the upper part. Family: Delphinidae Also, the shape of its body is different from most dolphins. It has a small and a sturdy body which gives it a unique appearance. The specific anthropogenic activities that affect this dolphin are: – Direct catch (to obtain its meat and oil). A calf is born with gray skin and measures less than 1 meter in length (0.5 to 0.75 meters) and weighing 4.5 to 7.3 kilograms. Females are larger than males. Morphology. It hunts alone or accompanied on high seas, grasslands of algae and structures made by man. Baby dolphins depend on the mother's milk during the first 4 months of their life. Pregnancy in females lasts 12 months and ends with one baby (calf). Commerson's dolphins are very active. There are two subspecies, separated by about 8,500 kilometers. 22.5 percent were remnants of Mysid Shrimp (Order Mysida), 20.4 percent were three species of fish, 14.1 were of squid, and the remaining percentage represented algae and benthic invertebrates. It is very easy to identify a Commerson’s dolphin because of its unique characteristics. Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification. Commerson's dolphins rely on the sense of hearing when they search for food. Other parts of the body are white. Commerson's dolphin spends most of its time in the shallow water and it can be often seen in the bays or near the harbors. The first Commerson's dolphin calf ever born in a marine zoological environment was born at SeaWorld San Diego on February 21, 1985.