Striped Dolphin Diet
The striped dolphin, scientific name Stenella coeruleoalba, makes its home throughout the tropical and temperate zones. Striped dolphins have been found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean oceans, along with the Gulf of Mexico. First discovered in 1833 by German botanist Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen, this species of dolphin has been heavily studied in all of their habitats. Typical pod sizes average between 100 to 500 members, although large pods of over 1,000 have been discovered. Striped dolphins feed upon fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, according to the Convention of Migratory Species.
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Fish
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Striped dolphins have been found to eat fish for approximately 39 percent of their dietary needs. The type of fish consumed depends on the dolphin's habitat. The Convention for Migratory Species found that striped dolphins in Japan and South Africa targeted luminescent fish, commonly found at depths between 300 km and 700 km deep. Northeast Atlantic striped dolphins favor the lanternfish.
Cephalopods
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Cephalopods, also known as squid and octopus, are the preferred prey among Mediterranean striped dolphins. Evidence of cephalopod consumption is shown throughout the striped dolphin population worldwide, however. Northeast Atlantic striped dolphins consumed cephalopods for 56 percent of their meals. Specific species of cephalopod include clubhook squid, European flying squid and odd bobtail squid.
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Crustaceans
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Crustaceans make up the smallest part of a striped dolphin's diet, with less than 5 percent found. Sergastes arcticus and Pasiphaea multidentata are both types of shrimp the Atlantic striped dolphins eat.
Population
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Striped dolphins have a tendency to avoid ships, so it is assumed population numbers are reported lower than actual numbers. The reports are divided by region, and the estimated worldwide population of the striped dolphin is over 2 million individual dolphins. The most populated ocean is the Pacific Ocean with 1,470,854, according to the Convention for Migratory Species.
Migration
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Striped dolphins are a migratory species in most parts of the world, although they are fairly stationary along the U.S. eastern coast. Striped dolphins migrate with warm water currents, and travel from Japan's coastline to the Northern Pacific ocean. Migration takes place during the fall and winter months, ending with the Pacific ocean trip in the summer.
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References
- Photo Credit striped dolphin swimming under water image by Domenico Cavallotto from Fotolia.com
