General Description

Upper body dark grey from beak to midway between dorsal fin and tail flukes. Sides of body pale yellow and grey-white sides of the tail. Dark stripe from beak and dark patch around each eye. Up to 3 m long.

Biology

Short-beaked Common Dolphins swim in groups, sometimes with hundreds of individuals. Their food includes shoaling and mid-water fish and squid.

Humans interactions include:
At risk from driftnets, chemical contamination of water.

Habitat

Open water and shallow coastal seas.

Open water

Distribution guide

Worldwide. Most Australian waters. Potentially near Port Phillip, recorded from Victoria.

Species Group

Mammals › Whales and dolphins

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

Surface Midwater

Max Size

3 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Conservation Status

• CITES : Trade restrictions (Appendix II)
• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Least Concern