Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Kingdom: Animal

Phylum: Phylum Chordata

Class: Mammal

Family: Oceanic dolphins

Order: Artiodactyls

Genus: Spotted dolphins

Specific name: Stenella frontails 

Known subspecies: Offshore spotted dolphin and the coastal spotted dolphin

Existense: 11 million years

Closest living species: Even-toed ungulates, such as hippos, cows, and camels

3 ancestors: Pakiectus, Ambulocetus, and Remingtonocetidae 

Physically look like: Medium-sized dolphins with robust bodies, dark gray backs, light gray sides, and white bellies

Key characteristics: "Acrobatic" swimmers, frequently leaping out of the water or jumping at the water's surface

Size range: About 5 to 7.5 feet long

Average weight: 240 lbs

Lifespan in the wild and captivity: 23 years in the wild, but in captivity they usuall live one year or less

Main differences between male and felmales: Their size and the number of slits near their tail

Habitat: Warm temperate, subtropical, and tropical waters throughout the Atlantic Ocean

Types of plants: Microscopic phytoplankton

Share the same habitat: Bottlenose dolphins and striped dolphins

Temperature ranges: 65 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (around 18 to 28 degrees Celsius)

Type of terrain: Warm, tropical waters along the continental shelf

Continents: Atlantic Ocean

Invasive species: No, Atlantic spotted dolphins are not considered an invasive species in any area

Eat: Small fish, squid, octopus, and other invertebrates

Need to eat: Throughout the day, in small amounts, whenever they can

Capture or obtain its food: Echolocation, digging, and herding

Unique foods: Flying fish, lizard-fish, and razor eels

Live in packs or solo: Rarely live alone

Roles within a community: Keeping their environment in balance

Male-led or female-led: Males are dominant in all groups

Who makes up the groups: Males, females, and juveniles 

Interact with each other: Blow bubbles through their blowholes as one way to communicate with members of their group. They also communicate with sound

Often mate: Throughout the year

Many mates: Multiple mates

Time of year tyipcally male: year-round

Mating rituals:  Dolphins mate belly to belly, and after the mating, the male leaves to find a new mate. Females are left to raise the calf without the male

Many offspring produce a time: One offspring/baby

Unique characteristics: Multiple males often compete for a single female, engaging in complex courtship behaviors

Stage of development from birth to maturity: Calf, weaned, juvenile, mottled, fused, and adult

Age dolphins reach sexual maturity: Between 8 and 15 years old

Characteristics of each stage development: Tropical and cooler, more temperate waters

Key differences between males and females development: Females tend to be slightly larger than males

Main predators: Sharks and killer whales

Sexual competition:  Male bottlenose dolphins and male spotted dolphins by side-mouthing them during aggression

Diseases: Viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, as well as parasites

Causes led to death: Fishing gear entanglement, illegal feeding, and pollution

Types of competition with their own species: They compete  with other Atlantic spotted dolphins for dominance

Types of competition with other species: Competition with bottlenose dolphins

Resources: food, space, and mates

Invasive species affect: Altering their food sources, introducing new diseases, competing for habitat, and disrupting the overall ecosystem balance

What is the IUCN: Data Deficient on its Red List of Threatened Species

Factors: Not stated