No.0133In residence
Stella
ステラ
Commerson's DolphinCephalorhynchus commersonii
- Sex
- Female
- Born
- May 26, 2001
LC— Least Concern
Commerson's Dolphinイロワケイルカ
Cephalorhynchus commersoniiLC— Least Concern
Commerson's dolphin is a small, striking black-and-white dolphin found in two widely separated populations — around Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands off South America, and around the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Nicknamed the 'panda dolphin' for its coloring, it is a highly active swimmer known for leaping, wave-surfing, and even swimming upside-down. The IUCN classifies it as Least Concern, though accidental entanglement in gillnets remains a persistent threat.
Commerson's Dolphin (reference photo)
Species Data
- Classification
- Cetartiodactyla / Delphinidae Source
- Size
- Body length about 1.5 m (a mature female as small as 1.36 m has been recorded)
- Weight
- The smallest recorded adult weighed about 23 kg
- Lifespan
- Wild: up to about 18 years; captive: about 21–33 years (sources vary)
- Diet
- Piscivore Carnivorous, feeding mainly on coastal and pelagic fish and squid; populations along the South American coast also eat crustaceans and forage in rivers at low tide
- Activity
- Highly active, swimming fast, leaping, surfing waves, and riding the bow waves of boats; sometimes swims upside down, possibly to better spot prey
- Distribution
- Commerson's dolphin occurs in two isolated populations roughly 8,500 km apart: around Tierra del Fuego, the Strait of Magellan, and the Falkland Islands off southern South America, and around the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Source
- Sources
- ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Did You Know?
- Its sharply delineated black-and-white coloring resembles a giant panda, earning it the nickname 'panda dolphin.' Source
- Commerson's dolphins are known for swimming upside-down, a behavior thought to improve their ability to see prey. Source
- The two known populations are separated by about 8,500 km, and the Kerguelen Islands population was not discovered until the 1950s. Source
Where to See This Species
Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 3
How to tell Dolphins, Porpoises, and Belugas apart →Toba AquariumMieOpened in 1955
Miyajima Public AquariumHiroshimaOpened in 2011
SENDAI UMINO-MORI AQUARIUMMiyagiOpened in 2015
Former facilities
Marinpiamatsushima SuizokukanMiyagiOpened in 1927
Closed: 2015-05-10 Official Site
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Source links to official sites, official YouTube channels, and news aggregators such as Zoo Ring. Visit the publisher for the full item.
Conservation Story
Conservation Status
Least Concern (LC)
Sources
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Individuals Remembered
No.0136In memoriam
Earth
アース
Commerson's DolphinCephalorhynchus commersonii
Toba Aquarium
- Sex
- Male
- Born
- July 11, 2021
LC— Least Concern
FAQ
- Why is Commerson's dolphin called the panda dolphin?
- Its sharply contrasting black-and-white body pattern resembles a giant panda's coloring, giving rise to the nickname. Source
- Where do Commerson's dolphins live?
- They occur in two isolated populations about 8,500 km apart: one around Tierra del Fuego, the Strait of Magellan, and the Falkland Islands in South America, and another around the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Source
- Are Commerson's dolphins endangered?
- No, the IUCN lists them as Least Concern, though incidental deaths in fishing gillnets remain a common threat in parts of their range. Source
- How many operating facilities are registered here?
- Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 3 Source