Peale’s Dolphin
| Scientific Name | Lagenorhynchus australis |  | |
| English Common Name | Peale’s dolphin | ||
| Taxonomy | Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Sub-order: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Lagenorhynchus Species: australis | ||
| Behaviour | They have a white chest and belly and a unique white patch behind their flippers which are small and pointed. They have a tall, falcate dark-grey dorsal fin and a large number of teeth for such a small dolphin; between 54 – 66 on both upper and lower jaws. Their diet is unknown but thought to include both fish and squid. Usually a very energetic and acrobatic species and commonly seen leaping high out of the water and splashing back down on their sides. They are known to bow-ride larger faster vessels and swim alongside slower ones. | ||
| World Distribution | Distribution is throughout the cool coastal waters of Southern South America including the Falkland Islands. Seems to prefer shallow waters and is usually found close to shore in bays, inlets and fjords although it is known to frequent deeper waters. | ||
| Morphology | Information on Peale’s dolphins is limited however they are relatively easy to identify at sea if encountered. They have robust bodies with adults measuring approximately 2.2m and weighing approximately 115 kg. They have a dark grey face and chin with a gently sloping forehead and a short indistinct beak. Their colouring is predominantly dark-grey with pale-grey/white sides and a single white stripe running along the entire side of the upper flanks. | ||
| Threats | Primary threats include incidental entanglement in fishing nets and a directed hunt using them for bait in the King Crab fishery. Other threats may include habitat loss and degradation. | ||
| Status | No estimate of total abundance for the species is available although numbers are known to have declined sharply in the southern part of their range, where crab fishing is prevalent. | ||
| Conservation Activities | CITES Appendix II CMS Appendix II IUCN – Data Deficient | ||
