What kind of animal is the Commelin’s dolphin? We will explain its characteristics, ecology, and habitat. The Commelin’s dolphin is also called the Panda dolphin, and its body is mainly black and white. It lives around Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America and the Falkland Islands, and is distributed close to Antarctica.
What is a Commelinus dolphin? Basic stats
The Commerson’s Dolphin is a type of dolphin belonging to the Cetacean order, Odontoceti suborder, Delphinidae family, and the Commerson’s genus. Its scientific name is Cephalorhynchus commersonii, its English name is Commerson’s Dolphin, and its kanji is 色分海トン. Its body length is 1.2 to 1.7 meters and its weight is 35 to 65 kg. The list of information is as follows.
| Japanese（和名） | イロワケイルカ |
| English（英名） | Commerson’s Dolphin |
| scientific name(学名) | Cephalorhynchus commersonii |
| classification（分類） | Mammalia、Cetartiodactyla、 Delphinidae、Cephalorhynchus 哺乳綱、クジラ目、マイルカ科、イロワケイルカ属 |
| IUCN Status(保全状況) | LEAST CONCERN |
| Length（体長） | 1.2～1.7m |
| Weight（体重） | 35～65kg |
Habitat
The commercial dolphin is found in the waters around Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands in South America, and in the waters around the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.
What are its characteristics? What is it like?
The Commelin’s dolphin is the smallest of the cetacean species. Its pattern is quite distinctive, with its head, pectoral fins, dorsal fin, and tail fin being black, and its throat and body being white, so it is also called the Panda dolphin. The dorsal fin is straight on the head side, has almost no snout, and has a notch in the middle of the tail fin. Commelin’s dolphins are found in coastal areas up to a depth of about 200m.
What is its personality like?
Commelin’s dolphins are often seen in small groups, and are known to be highly cooperative animals. Sometimes there are large groups of about 100 individuals. Commelin’s dolphins are very active. They can swim and jump at high speeds on the surface of the sea.
What is their ecology like?
Commelin’s dolphins live by eating fish such as sardines and squid. The breeding season is from September to February, and the gestation period is about one year. Newborn calves are 50 to 75 cm long, and the nursing period is unknown. Females reach sexual maturity at 5-8 years, and males at 6-9 years. Their lifespan is said to be 20-30 years.
Do they have any natural predators?
The natural predators of commercial dolphins are killer whales and sharks.
Is the Commelin’s dolphin an endangered species?
The Commelin’s dolphin is not an endangered species overall. However, it is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricts commercial trade between countries that have signed the convention.
Can the Commelin’s dolphin be kept as a pet?
Comelin’s dolphins are large in size, so the general public cannot keep them as pets. If you are looking for one, we recommend visiting an aquarium to view them and having someone show you around at events. You can also find details in illustrated guides, so check out their online pages. They are also available as merchandise for purchase, depending on the aquarium’s policy.
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