Dolphin Species: Frasier's Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei

Appearance

• Stocky build
• Small fin
• Short beak
• Tiny flippers
• dorsal fin (triangular)
• Bluish gray on back and white on belly
• Longitudinal side striping pattern
• Cream band starts along eye to anus
• Parallel black band
• Dark appendages
• Light gray stripe connects gape of mouth to anterior insertion of flipper

Frasier's dolphin, from the Greek lagenos for "bottle" and delphis for "dolphin"

Distribution
Tropical distribution- Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Indian Oceans off South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Eastern Australia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka . Pantropical distribution between 40 degrees N and 40 degrees S . Common in Camotes Sea and the southern end of Bohol Strait, Phillippines. Eastern tropical Pacific along the equator between 110 and 145 degrees W.

Habitat
Groups of one hundred to one thousand
Occasionally mix with spotted dolphins, false killer whales, striped dolphins, and spinner dolphins
Mainly offshore-rarely inshore, except around oceanic islands and in areas with a narrow continental shelf

Food & Feeding
Mesopelagic fishes. Squid, crustaceans and deep sea fish, octopus, and krill . Captured at night when they rise to the surface. Hunting at depths of at least 250-500m

Lifecycle
Reproductive biology unknown
Foetus size-45-95cm long; birth length usually less than 1m

Behavior
Aggressive swimming style
Frequently in large groups
Often mix with schools of pelagic toothed whales and dolphins
Shy of boats
Active at the surface but don't seem

Estimated Current Population
Maximum of 136,000 in eastern tropical Pacific

Influence of Man
Local harpoon fisheries
Gillnet fisheries
Tuna purse-seine fisheries
Drive fishery in Taiwan