| Scientific Name | | Lagenorhynchus cruciger | |
| English Common Name | | Hourglass dolphin |
| Taxonomy | | Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Sub-order: Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Species: cruciger
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| Behaviour | | Very fast swimmers and known to bow-ride high speed vessels. One of the few species capable of spinning on their longitudinal axis, they swim with a fluid undulating movement and from afar, can resemble swimming penguins. |
| World Distribution | | The Hourglass dolphin is mainly found in the South Atlantic and the South Pacific. It is normally seen within 100km of the ice edge however it has also been seen in shallower waters. |
| Morphology | | Not much is known about the Hourglass dolphin because it lives in the cold waters of the southern hemisphere in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic seas. It is however easy to identify with its striking white hourglass pattern, and because it is the only dolphin with a dorsal fin, in those waters all year around. Adult Hourglass dolphins are between 1.6 and 1.8m long and they weigh between 90 and 120kg. Their diet consists of fish and squid. |
| Threats | | Due to the fact that it lives in one of the most remote areas of the planet threats facing the hourglass dolphin are relatively unknown. Climate change however will undoubtedly emerge as a major threat. |
| Status | | No abundance estimate is available for this species however it is thought to be locally common. |
| Conservation Activities | | CMS status “not listed”
IUCN ? Least Concern
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