The Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) are living in two distinct location: the 'southern tip of South America' and around the 'Kerguelen islands', the commerson's dolphins near Kerguelen Islands are a bit larger. They are also know by the names of 'Skunk Dolphin' and 'Piebald Dolphin'. The species was first described in 1767 by Philibert Commerson, and they look very much like porpoises, but is part of the dolphin family. Its diet consists of fish, squid, and shrimp. From Marinebio.org: "These dolphins are at-risk of environmental contamination. Low levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT, PCB and HCB) were found in the blubber of Kerguélen dolphins, confirming the presence of contaminants in oceans far from the main sources of pollution. However, it was noted, that these levels were 10-100 times less than those of cetaceans in the North Atlantic".
The Commerson's dolphin, piebald dolphin is listed as Data Deficient (DD), inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Namings for the Commerson
A young / baby of a Commerson is called a 'calf or pup'. The females are called 'cow' and males 'bull'. A Commerson group is called a 'team, school, pod, herd, alliance (male) or party (female)'.Countries
Antarctica, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and French Southern and Antarctic LandsSome facts about the
Commerson's dolphin
Adult weight : 50 kg (110 lbs)
Female maturity :2008 days
Male maturity : 2008 days
Gestation : 350 days
Litter size : 1
Weight at birth : 6.6 kg (14.52 lbs)
