Peale's Dolphin - Physical Description

Physical Description

Peale's Dolphin is of typical size in its family - about 1m in length at birth and 2.1 m (6.9 ft) when fully mature. Its adult weight is about 115 kg. It has a dark grey face and chin. The back is largely black with a single off-white stripe running curving and thickened as it runs down the back on each side. The belly is white. Conspicuously there is also a white patch under just behind each flippers. These are known as the "armpits". The flanks also have a large white-grey patch above the flipper. The dorsal fin is large for this size cetacean and distinctively falcate. The flippers themselves are small and pointed. The tail fin too has pointed tips, as well as a notch at its middle.

The species looks similar to the Dusky Dolphin when viewed at a distance, and may be confused with it.

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