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Common Dolphin

Known for their playful nature and acrobatic leaps, common dolphins are often seen riding the bow waves of boats. These highly social dolphins can gather in groups of hundreds or even thousands!

 

These dolphins are easily identified by their distinctive hourglass pattern along the sides, with a yellowish-tan patch near the head and a gray patch toward the tail. They are on the smaller side for dolphins, with adults typically growing to be around 1.8–2.4 meters (6–8 feet) long. Common dolphins are one of the most widespread and abundant dolphin species, found in warm and temperate waters around the world.  These dolphins used to be separated into short-beaked and long-beaked common dolphins, until scientists discovered they were part of one species. There are currently four subspecies recognized: common dolphin, Eastern North Pacific Long-beaked common dolphin, Black Sea common dolphin, and Indo-Pacific common dolphin. 

Very social animals, these mammals live, hunt, and travel in large social groups that often are made up of smaller sub-groups of 20-30 individuals. They rely on their numbers to track down prey like squid and schooling fish, the latter of which they will hunt cooperatively by herding fish towards the surface where they are easier to catch.

 

 

While common dolphins are abundantly found throughout the world’s oceans and are classified as Least Concern by IUCN Red List, they do still face several threats. 

Overfishing and Bycatch 

Dolphins may be accidently caught in a variety of fishing gear, including drift and set gillnets, trawl nets, and longlines. Overfishing of their prey, like anchovy and sprat, can also lead to undernourishment and health consequences. 

Pollution 

Ingesting plastic can be a threat to the health of wildlife like dolphins, and short-beaked common dolphins have been found with microplastics in their stomach. Chemical pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) may also accumulate in their body, causing health issues like lower reproductive rates.

 

 

One of the most impactful ways to protect endangered ocean species is to prevent them from being unintentionally caught up in fishing gear. Oceana campaigns to reduce bycatch and entanglements in fishing gear, including along the U.S. West Coast where these dolphins live. You can learn more about our work here.

 

 

  • Animal Diversity Web 
  • IUCN Red List 
  • NOAA Fisheries 
  • Reynoso, G. & Pablo, J. (1991). Group behavior of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) during prey capture. Anales del Instituto de Biología. Serie Zoología, 62(2), 253-262. ISSN: 0368-8720 
  • Cunha, H. A., de Castro, R. L., Secchi, E. R., Crespo, E. R., Lailson-Brito, J., Azevedo, A. F., Lazoski, C., & Solé-Cava, A. M. (2015). Molecular and Morphological Differentiation of Common Dolphins (Delphinus sp.) in the Southwestern Atlantic: Testing the Two Species Hypothesis in Sympatry. PLOS One, 10(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140251 

 

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