Pantropical Spotted Dolphin


Behavior

-very active: schools may be sighted from afar by froth caused by their leaping
-it is a fast, energetic swimmer, using long, shallow leaps
-frequently breaches, sometimes hurling itself high into the air, where it seems to hang before falling back with a splash
-often associates with Long-snouted Spinner Dolphins and Yellowfin Tuna, and often seen with feeding seabirds -lobtailing and bow-riding common, but in tuna fishing areas some individuals flee from boats

Distribution

-tropical and some warm temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
-widely distributed, mainly in tropical seas but also in the subtropics and some warm temperate waters -distribution probably not continuous within the range, though it appears to be abundant in many areas
-found mainly where surface water temperature higher than 77° F (25° C)
-commonly occurs around islands -well-studied in the eastern tropical Pacific but poorly known elsewhere -overlaps with the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, mainly in the western North Atlantic, where it occurs mainly offshore
-no known migrations, though offshore form may make seasonal movements, usually summering inshore and wintering offshore

Credits:

Dolphin stamp URL: www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/5968/deki.htm
Information URL: http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/marine.html

This page was created as part of the Galveston Bay Project for Girls, 1999.

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