Striped Dolphin

The striped dolphin is found in temperate and tropical waters of all the world's oceans, and is a member of the oceanic dolphin family, Delphinidae. It is similar in size and shape to several other dolphins but easy to recognise by its colouring: a blue, white or pink underside, one or two black bands circling the eyes and running to the flipper, and black appendages. Adults are about 2.4–2.6 m long and 150–160 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).

Like others in its genus it moves in large groups, usually up to thousands of animals, though groups may be smaller in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. It eats fish, squid, octopus, krill and other crustaceans. Gestation is about 12 months, with a three- or four-year gap between calvings, and animals live about 55–60 years. It is hunted in the western Pacific, including in the Taiji drive hunt.