Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata)
Group formation: Social fission fusion groups 25-300 (or more)
Size: 2.5 m, calf 80-90 cm
Weight: 120 kg, calf unknown
Age: 40 yrs
Sexual maturity: males 12 yrs, females 10 yrs
Gestation: 11 mths, 2.5-4 yrs in between
Weaning: 1-2 yrs
Diet: mostly small epopelagic fish, squid
Predators: sharks, killer whales, false killer whales, pygmy killer whales, short-finned pilot whales
Distribution: lives in all tropical and subtropical waters between 40° N and 40° S, with 3 sub species, second-most abundant cetacean after the bottlenose dolphin
Raja Ampat: they are common and often sighted in large groups of 100 or more
Population size: > 7 million
Conservation Status: Least Concern ver 3.1, Pop. trend: unknown
Threats: Whaling (Japan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan), chemical and plastic pollution, man-made noise impacts (seismic surveys, military sonar), entanglement in fishing gear, as bycatch in yellow tuna fisheries, over fishing, captivity.