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Dusky Dolphins are aquatic mammals.
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Dusky Dolphin Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Species: Obscurus
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Other Names: Whitesided Dolphin
Size: Dusky dolphins are a small species
of dolphin, they are 5.5 to 7 feet in length and
weigh between 150 to 185 pounds.
Habitat: Dusky dolphins are found in
the cooler waters along continental shelves in
waters less than less than 650 feet deep, throughout
the southern hemisphere.
Diet: Dusky Dolphins are predators and
eat anchovy, squid, and schooling shrimp.
Senses: Dusky Dolphins have an acute sense
of hearing. Their sense of touch is well developed.
Dusky Dolphins have a limited sense of smell.
Dusky Dolphins use echolocation for navigation,
it can be thought of as similar to a built in
radar system.
Hunting: Dusky Dolphins often hunt in
groups, using sonar abilities to gather schools
of fish to a given area.
Gestation: Dusky Dolphins carry their
young for 11 months. They typically breed for
reproductive purposes every 2-3 years.
Birth: Dusky Dolphins birth one calf at
a time. Dusky dolphins are 2 feet and weigh approximately
11 pounds at birth.
Calves: Dusky Dolphin calves will nurse
for up to 18 months. The Dusky Dolphin calves
will stay with their mother for the first 3 years
of their life.
Sexual Maturity: Female Dusky Dolphins
sexually mature at 4 to 5 years of age, while
male Dusky Dolphins mature at 3.5 to 5 years years
of age.
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