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| Distribution |
Present in the ocean all along the NC coast. Strandings have been recorded from six of the eight coastal counties.
Most of the warmer waters of the world's oceans, north in the Atlantic to ME and Nova Scotia. |
| Abundance |
A common to abundant dolphin in its range, and equally common to at times very common off the NC coast, mainly in warmer waters of the Gulf Stream, less so farther offshore. It is often more frequently seen than the Common Bottlenose Dolphin on boat trips, though the latter is clearly the most abundant cetacean in our waters. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History mammal collections (2021) lists 45 stranding records for NC, plus another two as 'Stenella frontalis?'. |
| Seasonal Occurrence |
Year-round, as it is not seasonally migratory. As of 1995, there had been 25 strandings along the NC coast (Webster et al., 1995), covering most months of the year. The 45 strandings reported in the NMNH database also are fairly well spread out across the year. |
| Habitat |
Unlike most of the state's dolphins, this species prefers the "shallower" inshore waters, mainly over the Continental Shelf. Its status beyond the Continental Slope is not well known, and perhaps the majority of the spotted dolphins at these depths are Pantropicals. |
| Behavior |
This is a medium-build dolphin, but it is quite agile and frequently is seen leaving the water for its dives (more so than does the Bottlenose Dolphin). It also often comes to boats to bow-ride, where observers can see the spots and the pale blaze or wedge below the dorsal fin. It travels in smaller groups than most other dolphins, mainly 10-25 individuals. |
| Comments |
The two spotted dolphin species -- Pantropical and Atlantic -- are easily confused, as the amount of spotting is quite variable; some Atlantics can look spotless. On many pelagic trips to the Gulf Stream, observers can expect to see a few individuals of this species, and often a few dozen or more can be seen. |
| Origin |
Native |
| NC List |
Official |
 State Rank |
S4S5M |
| State Status |
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| Global Rank |
G5 |
| Federal Status |
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| subspecies |
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| other_comName |
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| synonym |
Stenella plagiodon |
