Atlantic spotted dolphin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atlantic spotted dolphin |
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| Genus: |
Stenella
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frontalis
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The Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is a fascinating dolphin that lives in the warm parts of the Atlantic Ocean. These dolphins are special because, as they get older, they develop unique spots all over their bodies, making each one look different!
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About the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
The Atlantic spotted dolphin was first officially described by a scientist named Cuvier in 1828. There are many differences in how these dolphins look, even within the same species. For a long time, scientists weren't sure how to classify them perfectly. Today, we recognize them as one species. However, a larger type of Atlantic spotted dolphin with many spots, often seen near Florida, might one day be considered a separate subspecies or even its own species. A subspecies is like a special group within a species that has some unique traits.
Dolphin Family Tree
Scientists have learned that Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas can sometimes have babies with bottlenose dolphins. This shows how closely related these two types of dolphins are! Recent studies, including those in the 2020s, suggest that Atlantic spotted dolphins are very close relatives to bottlenose dolphins (from the Tursiops group). This close family connection helps explain why they can sometimes interbreed with both types of bottlenose dolphins.
What Do They Look Like?
The Atlantic spotted dolphin's coloring changes a lot as it grows up. Scientists describe these changes in different stages: two-tone, speckled, mottled, and fused. When they are born, calves are mostly gray-white with very few or no spots.
Growing Up: Spotting Changes
After they stop drinking their mother's milk, usually between 3 and 4 years old, they start to get speckles. This speckled stage lasts for about 5 years. A dolphin is called "mottled" when it develops a mix of gray and white spots on its back and black spots on its belly. This usually happens when they are about 8 or 9 years old. The "fused" pattern appears when they have both dark and white spots on their back and belly. As the dolphin gets older, the spots become more numerous and spread out, making the body look dark with white spots when they are fully grown.
Atlantic spotted dolphins are medium-sized compared to other dolphin species. Newborn calves are about 89 to 109 cm (35 to 43 in) long. Adult males can grow up to 2.26 meters (7.4 ft) long and weigh around 140 kg (309 lb). Adult females can reach 2.29 meters (7.5 ft) long and weigh about 130 kg (287 lb). They are a bit sturdier than the smaller pantropical spotted dolphin, and they share their ocean home with both pantropical spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins.
Dolphin Sounds
These dolphins communicate using about ten different sounds. They make whistles, buzzes, squawks, and barks. Each sound helps them communicate different things and is linked to different behaviors.
Life in the Ocean
Atlantic spotted dolphins are very social animals. They live in complex groups, usually with 5 to 15 individuals. Sometimes, they even join groups with common bottlenose dolphins. They are known for being fast swimmers. You might see them riding the waves at the front of boats (called bow-riding) or making long, shallow leaps out of the water.
Social Life and Family Care
Their family life involves one male often having babies with several females. The group works together to protect pregnant females and new calves. A mother dolphin carries her baby for about 11 months. She then cares for her calf for up to 5 years, with help from the rest of her group.
Hunting for Food
These dolphins are clever hunters who work together in groups, especially at night. They strategically surround their prey, which mainly includes small fish, creatures living on the seafloor (like crabs or shrimp), and cephalopods such as squid. They can dive deep, up to 60 meters (197 ft), and can stay underwater for as long as 10 minutes at a time. When they need to show aggression towards other species, they might bite or chase. When they are aggressive towards other dolphins in their own group, they usually use display behaviors instead of physical contact.
Where Do They Live?
Atlantic spotted dolphins live only in the temperate and tropical parts of the Atlantic Ocean. They are often seen in the western part of the Gulf Stream, which is a strong ocean current, between Florida and Bermuda. Off the Bahamas, you can find tours that let people swim with these dolphins. They also live in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sometimes, they are spotted further east, near the Azores and Canary Islands. They have been seen as far north as Cape Cod and even near the southwestern tip of Spain. They also live further south, reaching places like Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and off the coast of west Africa. However, scientists are still learning more about their exact distribution in these southern areas.
About 20 years ago, there were only around 80 dolphins in the Bahamas. Now, almost 200 dolphins are found there! Because they look similar to other dolphins in their habitat, it can be tricky to count them accurately. However, a careful estimate suggests there are about 100,000 Atlantic spotted dolphins in total.
Dolphins and People
Some Atlantic spotted dolphins, especially those around the Bahamas, have become used to being near humans. In these areas, it's common to find boat trips where people can watch or even swim with the dolphins. These dolphins are usually not kept in aquariums or marine parks.
Sometimes, these dolphins are accidentally caught in fishing nets, or a small number are hunted by fishermen. However, these activities are not currently a major threat to the species' survival. This species lives in the middle layer of the ocean, called the mesopelagic layer. Atlantic spotted dolphins are not currently in danger of extinction.
Protecting These Dolphins
The Atlantic spotted dolphin is part of an agreement called the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia. This agreement helps protect them. They are also listed as "Least Concern" in the Conservation Action Plan for the World's Cetaceans, which means they are not currently considered endangered.
See also
- List of cetaceans
- Marine biology
