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Commerson's dolphin - CEPHALORHYNCHUS COMMERSONIR
Possibly Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Dolphin": "Dolphin" is an old Greek word for the animal itself.
Location: Southern Argentine waters of South America.
Habitat: Aquatic. Coastal waters, bays, and fjords.
Description: The forehead is less pronounced than that of many other dolphins, but the distinctive coloring makes it easy to identify. The head and dorsal part from the fin up to and including the tail are black while the rest of the body is white. It has 30 small pointed teeth, on each side of each jaw, above and below. This dolphin only grows to a length of about 5 ft, and weighs only about 110 pounds.
Behavior: Little is known about this dolphin, and sightings are rare. It lives in small groups of 3 to 5 individuals and feeds on kriIl and small fishes. The shape of the mouth suggests that it does not eat large prey. It does not seem to have a migratory pattern, and it readily enters the mouths of rivers even if the water there is cloudy and muddy, unlike the other dolphins, which carefully avoid such environments.
Reproduction: Unknown.
Note: The distribution of this species may extend to the Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean, where the genus has been definitely sighted, but this specific species has not been identified for certain.
Go to the Cetacea Page to learn more about the other whale-like animals.
Go to the Index to compare the various Dolphins found in America Zoo.
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