Pantropical Spotted Dolphin - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The species was first described by John Gray in 1846. Gray's initial analysis included the Atlantic spotted dolphin in this species. They are now regarded as separate. Both the genus and specific names come from Latin words meaning thin or thinning.

There are three subspecies recognised in Rice's 1998 survey of cetacean taxonomy. Two of these have not been formally named

S. a. subspecies A, the off-shore form found in the eastern Pacific

S. a. subspecies B, a form found around the Hawaiian islands.

S. a. graffmani, coastal form found from Mexico to Peru