Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge

Drawing by Massimo Demma / ICRAM
Taxonomy
Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833)
Order: Cetacea (Κητώδη)
Suborder: Odontoceti (Οδοντοκήτη)
Suprafamily: Delphinoidea (∆ελφινοειδή)
Family: Delphinidae (∆ελφινίδες)
Genus: Stenella
Species: Stenella coeruleoalba
Relevant common names
Striped dolphin
Scientific name: Stenella coeruleoalba
Common Ζωνοδέλφινο
name:
Transcription: Zonodélfino
Pronunciation: zonoðélfino
EN striped dolphin AR (delfin azraq wa abyad)
FR dauphin bleu et blanc TR çizgili yunus
ES delfín listado AL ?
IT stenella striata HR prugasti dupin
DE Blauweißer delfin HE (stenella mefuspeset)
PT golfinho riscado ML denfil geddumu qasir
Size
The body length of Mediterranean striped dolphins is generally shorter than in oceanic
populations (reaching 2.56 m). Males are slightly larger than females (Archer II & Perrin
1999, Aguilar 2000). The average length of 110 animals stranded in Greece is 1.65 m
(sd=0.39). The maximum length for males is 2.20 m and for females 2.15 m. In the
Mediterranean, the longest specimen is a male 2.27 m long (Van Canneyt et al. 1998) and a
female 2.25 m long (Duguy 1986). Higher reported values (2.4 to 2.8 m) should be
considered dubious. Length at birth in the Mediterranean has been reported as 0.90-0.95 m
(Aguilar 1991). However, newborns of 0.80 m were recorded in Greece and other
Mediterranean countries. Mediterranean striped dolphins are thought to have the smallest
size in the world (Aguilar 2000). A 0.79 m specimen was measured by Port Police
authorities following expert instructions.
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