Common dolphin©M.Dewynter/CARIMAM

Long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)©A.Suardi/COHABYS

- TAXONOMY
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetartiodactyla
Infraorder : Cetacea
Parvorder : Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae
Common names:
English: Common dolphin
Spanish: Delfin común
French: Dauphin commun

- MORPHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
Morphology: slender body. Narrow and slightly falcate dorsal fin. In the Caribbean, only the long-beaked common dolphin, characterized by a particularly long and narrow beak, has been identified so far. Scientists are still debating whether it is a full species (Delphinus capensis).
Color and patterns: dark gray back, light belly and characteristic "hourglass" pattern on the flanks, with white-beige coloration in front and gray in the back.
Body length: 2-2.5 m
Group size: usually few to several dozens of individuals.
Specific behavior: they often get close to vessels and bow ride. It usually dives to few dozen meters for several minutes.
Feeding: it mainly consumes small epipelagic schooling fish, such as anchovy, sardines and mackerel, but may also feed on cephalopods.

- DISTRIBUTION
Global distribution: they occur in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters around the world, from 50° south to 40-60° north.
Sightings in the Wider Caribbean region: the common dolphin is regularly observed only on the continental shelf, from Venezuela to French Guiana.

- CONSERVATION
Threats recorded in the Wider Caribbean region: bycatch in active and ghost fishing nets.
UICN Status: LC (Least Concern)