View source for Biology:Short-beaked common dolphin

{{speciesbox
| name = Short-beaked common dolphin<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Cetacea|id=14300045}}</ref>
|image=Delphinus delphis with calf.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{Cite iucn | author = Hammond, P.S. | author2 = Bearzi, G. | author3 = Bjørge, A. | author4 = Forney, K. | author5 = Karczmarski, L. | author6 = Kasuya, T. | author7 = Perrin, W.F. | author8 = Scott, M.D. | author9 = Wang, J.Y. | author10 = Wells, R.S. | display-authors = etal | title = ''Delphinus delphis'' | volume = 2008 | page = e.T6336A12649851 | date = 2008 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T6336A12649851.en }}</ref>
| image2_caption = Size comparison an average human
| genus = Delphinus
| species = delphis
| authority = [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[Biology:10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision =
*''D. d. delphis'' 
*''D. d. ponticus''
| synonyms_ref = <ref>Perrin, W. (2009). [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137094 ''Delphinus delphis'' Linnaeus, 1758]. In: Perrin, W.F. World Cetacea Database.</ref>
| synonyms =
* ''Delphinus albimanus'' Peale, 1848
* ''Delphinus algeriensis'' Loche, 1860
* ''Delphinus delphus'' Linnaeus, 1758
* ''Delphinus forsteri'' Gray, 1846
* ''Delphinus fulvifasciatus'' Wagner, 1846
* ''Delphinus fulvofasciatus'' True, 1889
* ''Delphinus janira'' Gray, 1846
* ''Delphinus loriger'' Wiegmann, 1846
* ''Delphinus marginatus'' Lafont, 1868
* ''Delphinus novaezealandiae'' Gray, 1850
* ''Delphinus novaezeelandiae'' Wagner, 1846
* ''Delphinus novaezelandiae'' Quoy & Gaimard, 1830
* ''Delphinus vulgaris'' Lacépède, 1804
* ''Delphinus zelandae'' Gray, 1853
| range_map = cetacea_range_map_Short-beaked_Common_Dolphin.PNG
| range_map_caption = {{legend2|#0000FF|Range of short-beaked common dolphin|outline=gray}}
}}
The '''short-beaked common dolphin''' (''Delphinus delphis'') is a species of [[Biology:Common dolphin|common dolphin]]. It has a larger range than the [[Biology:Long-beaked common dolphin|long-beaked common dolphin]] (''D. capensis''), occurring throughout warm-temperate and tropical oceans, including the [[Earth:Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean]] although in smaller quantities than other places they are found.<ref name="Alspaugh"/>  There are more short-beaked common dolphins than any other dolphin species in the warm-temperate portions of the [[Earth:Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Earth:Pacific Ocean|Pacific Ocean]]s.<ref name=encyc>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals|author=Perrin, W.|chapter=Common Dolphins|editor1=Perrin, W.|editor2=Wursig, B.|editor3=Thewissen, J.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma2002unse/page/245 245–248]|year=2002|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=0-12-551340-2|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma2002unse/page/245}}</ref>  It is also found in the Caribbean and [[Place:Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean Sea]]s. The short-beaked common dolphin is also abundant in the Black Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Red Sea. They follow the gulf stream up to Norwegian waters. Seldom do any short-beaked dolphin venture near the Arctic.<ref name="Alspaugh"/>

== Physical characteristics ==
[[File:Delphinus delphis teeth.jpg|thumb|left|Homodont (similar) teeth of the ''Delphinus delphis'']]
The short-beaked common dolphin is a medium-sized dolphin, smaller than the more widely known [[Biology:Bottlenose dolphin|bottlenose dolphin]]. Adults vary in length from five to eight feet and range in mass from 100 to 136 kilograms or 220.26 to 299 pounds.<ref name="Alspaugh"/><ref name=princeton>{{cite book|title=Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World|author1=Shirihai, H.  |author2=Jarrett, B. |lastauthoramp=yes |year=2006|pages=171–174|isbn=0-691-12757-3}}</ref>  Males are generally longer and heavier,<ref name=princeton/> with a sexual size dimorphism of 1.06.  Mature males also have prominent postanal humps. The color pattern on the body is unusual. The back is dark and the belly is white, while on each side is an hourglass pattern colored light grey, yellow or gold in front and dirty grey in back.<ref name=Audubon>{{cite book|title=Guide to Marine Mammals of the World|author=Reeves, Stewart|author2=Clapham, Powell|page=[https://archive.org/details/guidetomarinemam00folk/page/388 388]|isbn=0-375-41141-0|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/guidetomarinemam00folk/page/388}}</ref>  It has a long, thin rostrum with 50–60 small, sharp, interlocking teeth on each side of each jaw.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Common Dolphin |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/17963/genus-Delphinus.html |accessdate=2008-07-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619125912/http://library.thinkquest.org/17963/genus-Delphinus.html |archivedate=19 June 2008 }}</ref> Juvenile dolphins have a more muted appearance and become more distinguishable when they mature.<ref>{{cite web|title=Short Beaked Dolphin|url=http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/commondolphin_shortbeaked.htm|accessdate=2013-10-23}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
[[File:Delphinus delphis.jpg|thumbnail|left|Early illustration from Transactions of the Zoological Society of London (1944)]]
The short-beaked common dolphin is a member of the [[Biology:Common dolphin|common dolphin]] genus, ''Delphinus'', within the dolphin family, [[Biology:Delphinidae|Delphinidae]]. Until the mid-1990s, the different forms within ''Delphinus'' were not recognized as separate species, but were all considered members of the species ''D. delphis''.<ref name=encyc/><ref name=princeton/>  Currently, there are two recognized species of ''Delphinus'': the short-beaked common dolphin and the long-beaked common dolphin (''D. capensis'').<ref name=MSW3043>{{MSW3 Cetacea|id=14300043}}</ref>  The short-beaked common dolphin is generally smaller than the long-beaked common dolphin and has a shorter [[Biology:Rostrum (anatomy)|rostrum]].  Differentiation among the short-beaked variety can be attributed to ocean temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and ocean turbidity, rather than zoogeographical distribution.

== Behavior ==
[[File:Common dolphin.jpg|left|thumb|Short-beaked common dolphin porpoising]]

Short-beaked common dolphins can live in aggregations of hundreds or even thousands of dolphins.<ref name=encyc/>  They sometimes associate with other dolphin species, such as [[Biology:Pilot whale|pilot whale]]s.<ref name=encyc/>  They have also been observed bow riding on [[Biology:Baleen whale|baleen whale]]s, and they also bow ride on boats.<ref name=encyc/> It is a fast swimmer (over {{convert|60|km/h}}), and breaching behavior and aerial acrobatics are common with this species.<ref name=princeton/> They are very social animals and engage in most necessary activities such as traveling, eating, and breathing together.<ref name="Alspaugh"/> They usually associate in groups that can consist of 1000s to 100,000s of individuals.<ref>[http://aquarium.org/exhibits/oregon-coast/animals/short-beaked-common-dolphin "Short-Beaked Common Dolphin."] Oregon Coast Aquarium. Oregon Coast Aquarium. Web. 22 Oct 2013.</ref> When some individuals are sick, others in the group assist them by using their fins to help keep them afloat so they survive.<ref name="Alspaugh"/>

=== Diet ===
The short-beaked common dolphin has a varied diet consisting of many species of fish and squid that live less than {{Convert|200|m|ft}} deep.<ref name=encyc/> The short-beaked common dolphin has been known to eat small fish, such as herring, pilchard, anchovies, hake, sardines, bonito, and sauries, as well as squid and octopus. The diet of short-beaked common dolphins near the English Channel consists mostly of lanternfish, Atlantic mackerel, sprats, and squids. In the Black Sea, their diet contains sprats, anchovies, and pipefish. In the Mid-Atlantic region near the Northeastern {{wipe|United States}}, their diet contains Atlantic Mackerel.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Ohizumi | first1 = H. | last2 = Yoshioka | first2 = M. | last3 = Mori | first3 = K. | last4 = Miyazaki | first4 = N. | title = Stomach Contents of Common Dolphins (Delphinus Delphis) in the Pelagic Western North Pacific | doi = 10.1111/j.1748-7692.1998.tb00767.x | journal = Marine Mammal Science | volume = 14 | issue = 4 | pages = 835 | year = 1998 | pmid =  | pmc = }}</ref> They typically eat anywhere from 18 to 20 pounds a day.<ref name="Alspaugh"/>

In order to study the long-term diet of short-beak common dolphins, their intake of [[Chemistry:Cadmium|Cadmium]] (Cd) was observed in 2004. In oceanic regions short-beaked dolphins diet consist largely of [[Biology:Cephalopod|Cephalopod]]s (such as Cranchids and Histioteuthids). In coastal areas, their diet contained up to 10 times less cephalopods.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Lahaye | first1 = V. | last2 = Bustamante | first2 = P. | last3 = Spitz | first3 = J. | last4 = Dabin | first4 = W. | last5 = Das | first5 = K. | last6 = Pierce | first6 = G. J. | last7 = Caurant | first7 = F. | title = Long-term dietary segregation of common dolphins ''Delphinus delphis'' in the Bay of Biscay, determined using cadmium as an ecological tracer | doi = 10.3354/meps305275 | journal = Marine Ecology Progress Series | volume = 305 | pages = 275 | year = 2005 | pmid =  | pmc = | url = https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00226655/document | doi-access = free }}</ref>

=== Reproduction ===
[[File:Dolphins ashdod fri 22may2009.jpg|thumb|Bow-riding dolphins off Ashdod, Israel]]
Females tend to reach sexual maturity when they have grown to 85% of their final size. It is at this point that the distribution of resources in their bodies becomes more focused on their sexual organs, rather than their physical size. This is usually when they are approximately 12 to 15 years of age. Like many other animals, female short-beaked common dolphins are considered sexually mature when they have ovulated at least once.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Danil|first=Kerri|title=Growth and reproduction of female short-beaked common dolphins, ''Delphinus delphis'', in the eastern tropical Pacifi|journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology|year=2006|volume=85|pages=108–121|doi=10.1139/z06-188|url=http://swfsc.noaa.gov/uploadedFiles/Divisions/PRD/Programs/Photogrammetry/Danil&Chivers2007.pdf|first2=S.J.|last2=Chivers}}</ref>

Similar to humans, the short-beaked common dolphin is viviparous. Though they have the ability to carry twins, triplets, etc., they usually only carry one baby at a time.<ref name="Alspaugh">{{cite web|last=Alspaugh|first=M.|title=Delphinus delphis|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Delphinus_delphis/|publisher=Animal Diversity Web|accessdate=20 October 2013}}</ref> The Short-beaked common dolphin has a gestation period of 10 to 11 months.<ref name=encyc/>  The newborn calf has a length of between {{Convert|70|and|100|cm|ft|lk=on}} and weighs about {{Convert|10|kg|lb}}.<ref name=princeton/>  For the Black Sea population, weaning occurs at between 5 and 6 months, but occurs later (up to about 19 months) in other areas.<ref name=encyc/><ref name=princeton/>  Typical interbirth interval ranges from 1 year for the Black Sea population to 3 years for eastern [[Earth:Pacific Ocean|Pacific Ocean]] populations.<ref name=encyc/>  Age of sexual maturity also varies by location, but can range between 2 and 7 years for females and 3 and 12 years for males.<ref name=encyc/><ref name=princeton/> Common short-beaked dolphins have been observed to engage in oral sex, intimating that they – like chimpanzees and humans – engage in sexual activities for pleasure.<ref name="Alspaugh"/>

After a baby is born, it immediately becomes part of the family and takes part in daily life. Staying close to its mother, the calf never strays more than a few feet, especially when it is very young. Until the calf is six months old, it obtains its nourishment solely from its mother's milk. Unlike humans, short-beaked common dolphins have no lips and cannot suck on the teats of its mother. If they did have this ability they would drown. Thus, the female dolphin's mammary glands have a muscle that when contracted, squirts milk so that it can feed its calf.<ref name="Alspaugh"/>

Maximum lifespan is 35 years, but has been estimated at 22 years for the Black Sea population.<ref name=encyc/><ref name=princeton/>

== Habitat ==
[[File:Kitesurfer and Dolphins Cropped.jpg|thumb|Dolphins with a kite-surfer off Sochi]]
Short-beaked common dolphins are commonly found in warm tropical waters, they are known to live in areas of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southeast Indian Ocean. They are believed to have originated in the eastern Indo-Pacific Ocean during the [[Earth:Pleistocene|Pleistocene]] and expanded into the Atlantic Ocean through the Indian Ocean due to climate oscillations.<ref>{{Cite journal 
| last1 = Amaral | first1 = A. R. 
| last2 = Beheregaray | first2 = L. B. 
| last3 = Bilgmann | first3 = K. 
| last4 = Freitas | first4 = L. S. 
| last5 = Robertson | first5 = K. M. 
| last6 = Sequeira | first6 = M. 
| last7 = Stockin | first7 = K. A. 
| last8 = Coelho | first8 = M. M. 
| last9 = Möller | first9 = L. M. 
| doi = 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05728.x 
| title = Influences of past climatic changes on historical population structure and demography of a cosmopolitan marine predator, the common dolphin (genus ''Delphinus'') 
| journal = Molecular Ecology 
| volume = 21 
| issue = 19 
| pages = 4854–4871 
| year = 2012 
| pmid = 22891814 
| url=http://www.molecularecology.flinders.edu.au/uploads/54834/ufiles/pdf/103_delphinus_ME12.pdf
}}</ref> Short-beaked common dolphins have been shown to reside in the Gulf of Corinth of the Ionian Sea. They were found in groups of [[Biology:Striped dolphin|striped dolphin]]; their numbers were very small and believed to be unsuitable for survival. Traces of [[Biology:Hybrid|hybridization]] were found on Striped dolphins, leading further credence to their inability to survive in such groups.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Bearzi | first1 = G. | last2 = Bonizzoni | first2 = S. | last3 = Agazzi | first3 = S. | last4 = Gonzalvo | first4 = J. | last5 = Currey | first5 = R. J. C. | title = Striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece: Abundance estimates from dorsal fin photographs | doi = 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00448.x | journal = Marine Mammal Science | volume = 27 | issue = 3 | pages = E165 | year = 2011 | pmid =  | pmc = }}</ref> The number of short-beaked common dolphins has declined elsewhere in Western Greece, specifically the island of Kalamos. Overfishing has been studied to have reduced the number of available prey for dolphins near the island between 1996 and 2007.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Bearzi | first1 = G. | last2 = Agazzi | first2 = S. | last3 = Gonzalvo | first3 = J. | last4 = Costa | first4 = M. | last5 = Bonizzoni | first5 = S. | last6 = Politi | first6 = E. | last7 = Piroddi | first7 = C. | last8 = Reeves | first8 = R. R. | doi = 10.3354/esr00103 | title = Overfishing and the disappearance of short-beaked common dolphins from western Greece | journal = Endangered Species Research | volume = 5 | pages = 1 | year = 2008 | pmid =  | pmc = | doi-access = free }}</ref>

== Conservation ==
[[File:Dolphins swim near ferry in port of Batumi 150505-A-PU919-7446.jpg|thumb|upright|Dolphins porpoising along a ferry at the port of Batumi]]
The Mediterranean population of the short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis is listed on Appendix I,<ref name="Appendices">"[http://www.cms.int/documents/appendix/Appendices_COP9_E.pdf Appendix I and Appendix II] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611112003/http://www.cms.int/documents/appendix/Appendices_COP9_E.pdf |date=11 June 2011 }}" of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). As amended by the Conference of the Parties in 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008. Effective: 5 March 2009.</ref> while the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, Black Sea and eastern tropical Pacific populations are listed on Appendix II<ref name="Appendices" /> of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The regional listing on Appendix I <ref name="Appendices" /> means that this population has been categorized as being in danger of extinction and CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them.  It was listed on Appendix II<ref name="Appendices" /> as it has an unfavourable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co-operation organised by tailored agreements.

In addition, the species is also covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas ([[Biology:ASCOBANS|ASCOBANS]])<ref>[http://www.ascobans.org Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas]. Ascobans.org. Retrieved on 2013-12-14.</ref> and the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area ([[Biology:ACCOBAMS|ACCOBAMS]]).<ref>[http://www.accobams.org Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area]. Accobams.org. Retrieved on 2013-12-14.</ref> The species is further included in the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia<ref>[http://www.cms.int/species/waam/index.htm Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia]. cms.int</ref><ref>[http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/d_delphis/d_delphis.htm Convention on Migratory Species page on the Short-beaked common dolphin]. cms.int</ref> and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region ([[Biology:Pacific Islands Cetaceans Memorandum of Understanding|Pacific Cetaceans MoU]]).<ref>[http://www.pacificcetaceans.org/ Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region]. Pacificcetaceans.org. Retrieved on 2013-12-14.</ref>

=== Mass stranding events ===
On June 8, 2009, a mass-stranding event (MSE) occurred in Falmouth Bay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is believed the MSE was likely caused by naval involvement, as all other factors which cause MSEs in cetaceans currently appear unlikely to have influenced the event. During the event, twenty-six common dolphins washed ashore, and about the same amount floated back out to sea. There were three other MSEs in the UK before this event, all of unknown cause, from the years 1915 to 1938, but with arguably lower counts of stranded dolphins.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Jepson | first1 = P. D. | last2 = Deaville | first2 = R. | last3 = Acevedo-Whitehouse | first3 = K. | last4 = Barnett | first4 = J. | last5 = Brownlow | first5 = A. | last6 = Brownell Jr | first6 = R. L. | last7 = Clare | first7 = F. C. | last8 = Davison | first8 = N. | last9 = Law | first9 = R. J. | last10 = Loveridge | first10 = J. | last11 = MacGregor | first11 = S. K. | last12 = Morris | first12 = S. | last13 = Murphy | first13 = S. A. | last14 = Penrose | first14 = R. | last15 = Perkins | first15 = M. W. | last16 = Pinn | first16 = E. | last17 = Seibel | first17 = H. | last18 = Siebert | first18 = U. | last19 = Sierra | first19 = E. | last20 = Simpson | first20 = V. | last21 = Tasker | first21 = M. L. | last22 = Tregenza | first22 = N. | last23 = Cunningham | first23 = A. A. | last24 = Fernández | first24 = A. | editor1-last = Fahlman | editor1-first = Andreas | title = What Caused the UK's Largest Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) Mass Stranding Event? | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0060953 | journal = PLoS ONE | volume = 8 | issue = 4 | pages = e60953 | year = 2013 | pmid =  23646103| pmc =3640001 }}</ref>

=== Bycatch ===
See Cetacean bycatch

There have been few studies specific to bycatch in relation to the short-beaked common dolphin, however certain models indicate that its effect on the reproduction of the species is greater than expected, and as compared with other species of dolphin.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Mannocci | first1 = L. | last2 = Dabin | first2 = W. | last3 = Augeraud-Véron | first3 = E. | last4 = Dupuy | first4 = J. F. O. | last5 = Barbraud | first5 = C. | last6 = Ridoux | first6 = V. | editor1-last = Reina | editor1-first = Richard | title = Assessing the Impact of Bycatch on Dolphin Populations: The Case of the Common Dolphin in the Eastern North Atlantic | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0032615 | journal = PLoS ONE | volume = 7 | issue = 2 | pages = e32615 | year = 2012 | pmid =  22393423| pmc =3290591 }}</ref> About 1000 short-beaked common dolphins are bycaught in the North Atlantic each year by either tuna drift, trawling and [[Engineering:Gillnetting|gillnetting]]. The regulation is that only cetacean bycatch can not be longer than 15 meters <ref>{{cite journal|title=Assessing the Impact of Bycatch on Dolphin Populations: The Case of the Common Dolphin in the Eastern North Atlantic|pmc=3290591|last1=Mannocci|first1=L|last2=Dabin|first2=W|last3=Augeraud-Véron|first3=E|last4=Dupuy|first4=JF|last5=Barbraud|first5=C|last6=Ridoux|first6=V|volume=7|issue=2|pages=e32615|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0032615|journal=PLoS ONE|year=2012|editor1-last=Reina|editor1-first=Richard|pmid=22393423}}</ref> and this can lead to be a problem because short-beaked common dolphins are only about 2.7 meters.

== See also ==
*List of cetaceans
*[[Biology:Marine biology|Marine biology]]
{{-}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Delphinus delphis}}
* {{NCBI|9728}}
* [http://www.wdcs.org: Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society]
* [http://cetus.ucsd.edu/voicesinthesea_org/species/dolphins/common.html Voices of the Sea – Sounds of the Short-beaked Common Dolphin]
* {{sealifephotos|137094}}

{{Cetacea|O.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q207114}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:dolphin, common, short-beaked}}


{{Sourceattribution|Short-beaked common dolphin|1}}