Fraser’s dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei)

Group formation: Social groups 50-1000

Size: 2-2.75 m, calf 1 m

Weight: 160-210 kg, calf 20 kg

Age: > 20 yrs

Sexual maturity: males 7-10 yrs females 5-8 yrs

Gestation: 12 mths, 2 yrs in between

Weaning: 2.5-3 yrs

Diet: feeds on pelagic fish, squid and shrimp in great depth (200-600 m)

Distribution: Cosmopolitan in deep tropical waters between 30° S and 20° N, common in the Eastern pacific

Raja Ampat: not very common, but not much is known

Population size: 320.000

Conservation Status: Least Concern ver 3.1, Pop. trend: unknown

Threats: Whaling (Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, West Indies), chemical and plastic pollution, man-made noise impacts (seismic surveys, military sonar), entanglement in fishing gear, bycatch, over fishing