What is Rough-toothed Dolphin?

Information about Rough-toothed Dolphin

Rough-toothed Dolphin
Enlarge picture
Rough-toothed Dolphin, from the NOAA

Rough-toothed Dolphin, from the NOAA
Enlarge picture
Size comparison against an average human

Size comparison against an average human
Conservation status
Data deficient (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Subclass:Eutheria
Order:Cetacea
Suborder:Odontoceti
Family:Delphinidae
Genus:Steno
Species:S. bredanensis
Binomial name
Steno bredanensis
Lesson, 1828
Enlarge picture
Rough-toothed Dolphin range

Rough-toothed Dolphin range
The Rough-toothed Dolphin (Steno bredanensis) is a fairly large dolphin that can be found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world.

Naming and discovery

The Dolphin was first described by Cuvier in 1823. The genus name Steno, of which this species is the only member, comes from the Greek for 'narrow', referring to the species nose - which is a diagnostic characteristic of the species. The specific name honours van Breda who studied Cuvier's writings. The common name refers to the thin lines of enamel that run vertically down the dolphins teeth.

Physical description

The characteristic feature of the dolphin is its conical shaped head and slender nose. The flippers are set back further along the body than other similar dolphins (at sea this dolphin may be confused with the Spinner, Spotted and Bottlenose Dolphins.) The dorsal fin is pronounced.

The lips, throat and belly are pinky-white. The flanks are a light grey and the back and dorsal fin a much darker grey. The dolphin grows up to about 2.5m in length and weigh about 150kg.

The species is societal. Groups sizes are commonly as large as fifty and groups as large as 100 have been reported. The Dolphin has not been observed to bow-ride but does "skim" - swim with their heads and chin above the surface of the water.

Population and distribution

The distribution and population of the Rough-toothed Dolphin is poorly understood. Most of the research activity concerning the dolphin has been directed in the eastern Pacific Ocean where a population estimate of 150,000 has been obtained. There have been numerous reports from other warm seas, usually as a result of by-catches. Populations of unknown sizes exist in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Live sightings are almost universally made far off-shore beyond the continental shelf.

Conservation

The population is not believed to be threatened by human activities. A small number of individuals have been harpooned by Japanese whalers. Others have been caught in seine nets by trawlers fishing for tuna.

References

  • Cetacean Specialist Group (1996). Steno bredanensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as data deficient
  • Steno bredanensis pp. 269-280, by J Maigret in Handbuch der Säugetiere Europas. Band 6: Meeressäuger Teil 1A: Wale und Delphine 1 Niethammer J, Krapp F, (Eds.) (1995).

External links

conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species: not simply the number remaining, but the
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IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List), created in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
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Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Chordata
Bateson, 1885

Typical Classes

See below

Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Mammalia
Linnaeus, 1758

Subclasses & Infraclasses
  • Subclass †Allotheria*
  • Subclass Prototheria
  • Subclass Theria

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Eutheria

Orders[1]
  • Bobolestes
  • Eomaia
  • Maelestes
  • Montanalestes
  • Murtoilestes
  • Prokennalestes
  • Placentalia
  • Superorder

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Cetacea
Brisson, 1762

Diversity
Around 88 species; see list of cetaceans or below.

Suborders

Mysticeti
Odontoceti
Archaeoceti (extinct)
(see text for families)

The order Cetacea
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Odontoceti
Flower, 1869

Diversity
Around 73; see List of cetaceans or below.

Families
See text.

The toothed whales (systematic name Odontoceti) form a suborder of the cetaceans.
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Delphinidae
Gray, 1821

Genera

See text.
Oceanic dolphins are the members of the Delphinidae family of cetaceans. These aquatic mammals are related to whales and porpoises.
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binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming species. The system is also called binominal nomenclature (particularly in zoological circles), binary nomenclature (particularly in botanical circles), or the binomial classification system.
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René Primevère Lesson (March 20, 1794 - April 28, 1849) was a French surgeon and naturalist.

Lesson was born at Rochefort, and at the age of sixteen he entered the Naval Medical School there.
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Greek 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
 Cyprus
 European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
 European Union
 Italy
 Turkey
Regulated by:
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S. longirostris

Binomial name
Stenella longirostris
(Gray, 1828)

Spinner Dolphin range


The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris
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S. attenuata

Binomial name
Stenella attenuata
(Gray, 1846)

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin range


The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin (
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Tursiops

Species: T. truncatus

Binomial name
Tursiops truncatus
Montagu, 1821


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(World Ocean)
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The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum
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Caribbean Sea (pronounced IPA: /kəˈrɪbiən/ or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/
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Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres (41.1 million square miles), it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface.
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Earth's oceans
(World Ocean)
  • Arctic Ocean
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Southern Ocean
This article is about the water body. For the Indian fusion music band, see Indian Ocean (band).

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Earth's oceans
(World Ocean)
  • Arctic Ocean
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Southern Ocean


The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum
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continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas (known as shelf seas) and gulfs.
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seine is a large fishing net that hangs vertically in the water by attaching weights along the bottom edge and floats along the top.

Purse seine

A common type of seine is a purse seine, named such because along the bottom are a number of rings.
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Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Some tuna are able to inhabit freshwater environs as well. Tunas are fast swimmers—they have been clocked at 77 km/h (48 mph)—and include several species that
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IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List), created in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
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IUCN

International Organization
Founded October 1948, Fontainebleau, France
Headquarters Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland

Key people Mr Valli Moosa
Ms Julia Marton-Lefèvre
Industry Natural resource conservation
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