Common Dolphin
| Scientific Name | Delphinus delphis, Delphinus capensis |  | |
| English Common Name | Common Dolphin | ||
| Taxonomy | Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Sub-order: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Delphinus Species: delphis / capensis | ||
| Behaviour | A very active, energetic and acrobatic species. Frequently bow-rides and porpoises when travelling fast. Often seen in large groups, especially offshore, although school size can vary depending on season and time of day. A highly vocal species that can sometimes be heard above the surface. | ||
| World Distribution | Common Dolphins are widely distributed with many different populations in all oceans. They are found in many enclosed seas and are rarely seen in waters less than 180m deep. In some areas common dolphins are present all year around but other populations migrate seasonally. | ||
| Morphology | Common dolphins are easily recognised by the hourglass pattern of yellow, white, grey and black on their sides. They have a dark cape ranging from black to brown with a v-shape under the dorsal fin. They also have a white underside with occasional yellow streaks and a slender grey tail stock. Their flukes are dark on both sides, and their dorsal fins range from curved to triangular and can be black, greyish white or somewhere in-between. There are only subtle differences between the sexes and males and females are difficult to distinguish. The most obvious difference between the long-beaked and short-beaked common dolphins is in the length and width of the beak – long-beaked common dolphins have long slender beaks whilst the short-beaked common dolphins have shorter, stubbier beaks. When they are born Common Dolphins are about 80 cm long but it is not known how much they weigh. They grow between 1.7 and 2.4 meters in length and weigh between 70 and 110 kg. Common Dolphins live on fish and squid. | ||
| Threats | The primary threat is incidental entanglement in fishing nets. Other threats include habitat loss, human disturbance and prey depletion. | ||
| Status | No abundance estimate is available for this species however there is some evidence of major population declines in several locations including the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the eastern tropical Pacific. | ||
| Conservation Activities | CMS Appendix I (Mediterranean population), all other populations are CMS Appendix II Protected under ACCOBAMS Protected under ASCOBANS | ||
