Rough-Toothed Dolphin

ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN
Rough-Toothed Dolphin
The rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) is a species of dolphin that can be
found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world.
The species was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1823. The genus name
Steno, of which this species is the only member, comes from the Greek for
'narrow', referring to the animal's beak which is a diagnostic characteristic of
the species. The specific name honours van Breda, who studied Cuvier's writings.
There are no recognised subspecies.
DESCRIPTION
The rough-toothed dolphin is a relatively large species, with adults ranging from
2.09 to 2.83 metres (6.9 to 9.3 ft) in length, and weighing between 90 and 155
kilograms (198 and 342 lb); males are larger than females. Its most visible
characteristic feature is its conical head and slender nose; other dolphins either
have a shorter snout or a more visibly bulging melon on the forehead. As the
common name for the species implies, the teeth are also distinctive, having a
roughened surface formed by numerous narrow irregular ridges. They have been
reported to have between nineteen and twenty-eight teeth in each quarter of the
jaw.
The flippers are set back further along the body than in other similar dolphins,
although, at sea this dolphin may be confused withspinner, spotted and
bottlenose dolphins. Thedorsal fin is pronounced, being from 18 to 28
centimetres (7.1 to 11.0 in) in height. The animal's flanks are a light gray, while
the back and dorsal fin are a much darker gray. Older individuals often have
distinctive pinkish, yellow, or white markings around the mouth and along the
underside.
POPULATION AND DISTRIBUTION

The distribution and population of the Rough-toothed Dolphin is poorly
understood. They inhabit the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, and in the
Mediterranean Sea, in warm temperate to tropical waters, with occasional reports
from cooler environments. Live sightings are almost universally made far offshore,[citation needed] beyond the continental shelf, in water at least 1 kilometre
(0.62 mi) deep. Most of the research activity concerning the dolphin has been
directed in the eastern Pacific, where a population estimate of 150,000 has been
obtained.[by whom?] Fossils belonging to the genus Steno are known from
Europe and date to the early to midPliocene. In the Mediterranean Sea, the
species was once considered to be visiting from North Atlantic until recent
findings revealed that there is a small but resident population in the eastern part
of the sea.
BEHAVIOUR AND DIET
Rough-toothed dolphins are typically social animals, although solitary individuals
are also sighted. An average group has between ten and twenty members, but
they can vary from as few as two to as many as ninety. Such groups are thought
to be temporary assemblages, composed of smaller, more permanent groups of
two to eight closely related individuals that occasionally join together with others.
They have also been reported to school together with other species of dolphin,
and with pilot whales, false killer whales, and humpback whales. Rough-toothed
dolphins have been reported to bow-ride on a number of occasions, although
apparently they do not do so as frequently as many other dolphin species. They
do, however, commonly "skim", by swimming with their heads and chin above
the surface of the water. They are known to be able to dive to at least 50 metres
(160 ft)[8]and be able to stay underwater for at least fifteen minutes. Their
echolocation clicks are unusually brief, lasting no more than 0.2 seconds, and
have a relatively low frequency, ranging from 2.7 to 256 kHz, with a maximum
peak frequency of 25 kHz. They also make longer whistles with a frequency
between 3 and 12 kHz. Although details of their diet are sketchy, the stomach
contents of stranded dolphins have included such fish such as silversides,sauries,

houndfish, smelts, cutlassfish, and various squid and octopuses. Predators on
rough-toothed dolphins are thought to includekiller whales and sharks.
REPRODUCTION
Rough-toothed dolphins give birth to a single young, after an unknown period of
gestation; it is also unknown whether or not they have a distinct breeding
season. The young are about 100 centimetres (39 in) long at birth, and grow
rapidly for the first five years of life. Females reach sexual maturity somewhere
between six and ten years of age, and males between five and ten years.
CONSERVATION
The population is not believed to be threatened by human activities. A small
number of individuals have been harpoonedby Japanese whalers. Others have
been caught in seine nets by trawlers fishing fortuna. They adapt well to captivity
and have proven to be intelligent and creative. Less than a dozen rough-toothed
dolphins live indolphinaria around the world.[citation needed] The Rough-toothed
dolphin is covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of
the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) and the
Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean
Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). The species is further included in
the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee
and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia (Western African Aquatic
Mammals MoU) and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of
Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Cetaceans
MoU).

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ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN

POPULATION AND DISTRIBUTION

contents of stranded dolphins have included such fish such as silversides,sauries,

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