Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin
| Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Delphinidae |
| Genus: | Sousa |
| Species: | S. chinensis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Sousa chinensis (Osbeck, 1765) |
|
 |
|
| Chinensis-type range | |
 |
|
| Plumbea-type range | |
The Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is a species of humpback dolphin that is found in coastal waters ranging from southern Africa in the west to northern Australia and southeast Asia to the east. The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is regarded as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
There are two varieties, regarded by some biologists as separate subspecies:
However, DNA testing has indicated that the Chinensis-type dolphins from Southeast Asia are more closely related to the Plumbea-type dolphins than they are to the Chinensis-type dolphins from Australia.
The Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin is a coastal species, generally staying within a few miles of the shore and preferring water less than 20 metres (66 ft) deep. Sometimes it enter rivers, but usually does not swim far upstream.
The Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin is a medium-sized dolphin that ranges in length from 2 to 2.8 metres (6.6 to 9.2 ft) and in weight from 150 to 200 kilograms (330 to 440 lb).Plumbea-type dolphins have a fatty hump on the back, while Chinensis-type dolphins have a more prominent dorsal fin, but no hump.
Different varieties have different coloration, although young dolphins are generally gray, with darker gray above than below.Plumbea-type adults are generally dark gray.Chinensis-type adults from Australia are generally light gray above and lighter, possibly with some spotting, below, and as the dolphins age the rostrum, melon and dorsal fin get lighter.Chinensis-type adults from South China are generally white with dark spots on the sides, although the white portions appear to be pink because of blood flow beneath the skin.
Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins can appear similar to conspecific Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, but the bottlenose dolphins lack the hump of Plumbea-type humpbacked dolphins. And all humpbacked dolphins have a distinctive motion when surfacing, in that it surfaces at a 30 to 45 degree angle with the rostrum, and sometimes the full head, showing before arching its back and sometimes showing its flukes.
...
Wikipedia