Striped Dolphin
Scientific Name : Stenella Coeruleoalba
- IUCN: Not Endangered/ Least Concern
- Other names: Blue and white dolphin, streaker
- Swahili name: Pomboo mistari
- Length: 2.1-2.8m
- Weight: 125-160kg
- Life expectancy: 45 years
- Abundance: Offshore tropical and warm temperate waters around the world
- Occurance: Year-round; in Kenya dead stranding reports only, no live sightings.
- Primary prey: Various fish and squid
- Conservation status: Unknown, though there are concerns with fishery bycatch in many areas
- Quick key identification: A series of wavy grey, white and dark grey/black stripes run from the eye and along the sides of the body. Have 40-55 teeth in both the upper and lower jaws.
The diagnostic colour pattern is interesting and unique in itself with gray spinal blaze, dark eye to flipper stripe and a dark stripe reaching from eye down along the extent of the side to underbelly. Latin words coeruleus and albus mean dark blue and white in reference to their stripes. Can be confused with Fraser’s dolphin and sometimes the long-beaked common dolphin and spinner dolphin. >
