Stenella frontalis: Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin - Stenella frontalis
( G. Cuvier, 1829 )

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Subspecies:	Unknown
Est. World Population:

CITES Status:	NOT LISTED
IUCN Status:	Least Concern
U.S. ESA Status:	NOT LISTED

Body Length:
Tail Length:
Shoulder Height:
Weight:

Top Speed:
Jumping Ability:	(Horizontal)

Life Span:	in the Wild
Life Span:	in Captivity

Sexual Maturity:	(Females)
Sexual Maturity:	(Males)
Litter Size:
Gestation Period:

Habitat:

Within the species global range, there are two described morphotypes of Atlantic spotted dolphin, the first is a larger more densely spotted type that is associated with the continental shelf and coastal waters, and the second is an offshore type which is smaller and less densely spotted that is associated with deeper water habitats (around 1,000 m; Perrin et al. 1987). The Atlantic spotted dolphin within European waters is not genetically differentiated from the offshore ecotype found in the western Atlantic Ocean. This is supported by habitat modelling off Madeira, which showed widespread distribution around the island associated with 1,000 m depth (Fernandez et al. 2021) and a preference for deeper water of the Azores (Silva et al. 2003).

Atlantic spotted dolphins have a seasonal distribution of the Azores and Madeira, with sightings peaking between April and October (Quérouil et al. 2008, Silva et al. 2014). The species prefers warmer waters generally above 18 °C and waters with low productivity values (Fernandez et al. 2021). Atlantic spotted dolphin groups with calves have been regularly observed off Madeira suggesting a potential nursery area for the species (Alves et al. 2018).

Atlantic spotted dolphins forage on a range of fishes and squids (including flatfishes, carangids, clupeoids, and hemiramphids) (Perrin et al. 1994).

Range:

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins are endemic to the Atlantic Ocean where they occupy tropical and warm temperate waters. In European waters, they seasonally occur off the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands (Freitas et al. 1998, Silva et al. 2003, Carrillo et al. 2010, Smit et al. 2010). There are some sighting records off mainland Portugal, but they are rare, and the species does not normally occur in the Mediterranean Sea. The first report of the species off Madeira was recorded in 1997 (Frietas 1998) but now it is the most commonly observed cetacean in the area (Fernandez et al. 2021).

In the eastern Atlantic the species range from the Azores in the north to as far south as Angola and along the west African coast. In the western Atlantic, Atlantic spotted dolphins occur from Southern Brazil to New England, US.

Conservation:

The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).