Lagenorhynchus australis

• Main Authors: Russell A. Mittermeier, Don E. Wilson
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2014
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Cetacea; Delphinidae; Lagenorhynchus; Lagenorhynchus australis; Argentina; Austral; Drake Passage; Pacific; Patagonia; White Patch; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6608636; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/BD4CCC61762CFFE4FF14F84DE09DF7C3

3. Peale’s Dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis French: Dauphin de Peale / German: Schwarzkinndelfin / Spanish: Delfin austral Other common names: Black-chinned Dolphin, Southern White-sided Dolphin Taxonomy. Phocaena australis Peale, 1843, “South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Patagonia,” Argentina. Taxonomy of Lagenorhynchus is currently in dispute. Recent molecular analyses have revealed that the genus is not monophyletic. L. australis and L. cruciger appear to be most closely related to dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus and may be reassigned to Cephalorhynchus or to another genus (Sagmatias) in the near future. Monotypic. Distribution. Coastal waters of S South America from ¢.33° S in the Pacific Ocean and c.38° Sin the Atlantic Ocean, and S into Drake Passage (c.59° S) and Falkland Is. Descriptive notes. Total length up to 220 cm (males) and up to 210 cm (females); weight up to 115 kg. Neonates are 98-130 cm long. Peale’s Dolphin has robust body shape and short, poorly defined beak. Dorsal fin and flippers are falcate with pointed tips. Dorsal area is dark gray to black, and most of the belly is white. There is pale grayto-white patch on upper posterior flanks stretching from base of flukes along tailstock to just in front of dorsal fin. This patch tapers anteriorly and fades into the dark color of back. There is another pale gray-to-white patch on lower anterior flanks extending from eye to middle body, tapering and fading posteriorly. Most of face is dark gray to black. A black band distinguishes white belly from rest of body. Ventral white area on chest extends onto flanks, slightly behind flippers in a manner reminiscent of “armpit” patches on species of Cephalorhynchus. Young Peale’s Dolphins are paler and more muted in color than adults. There are up to 37 pairs of teeth on upper jaw and up to 34 pairs on lower jaw. Habitat. Most abundant in coastal waters, particularly around islands and over continental shelves. Peale’s Dolphins are also common in sheltered near-shore areas such as bays, inlets, ...