Fraser’s Dolphin
(Lagenodelphis hosei)
Identity card
Taxonomy
Order: Odontocetes
Family: Delphinidae
Species: Lagenodelphis hosei
Measurements
2 to 2.7 m, weighing 160 to 210 kg
Lifespan
Around 18 years
IUCN status
Least Concern
Habitat
It lives in open seas at depths below 500 m and in all tropical and subtropical oceans.
Un juvénile de dauphin de Fraser avec sa mère. On distingue son ventre rosé.
Cedric MILLON / OMMAG
Un juvénile de dauphin de Fraser avec sa mère. On distingue son ventre rosé.
Cedric MILLON / OMMAG
Dauphin de Fraser (Lagenodelphis hosei).
Yannick Stephan - Mayotte Découverte
Dauphin de Fraser (Lagenodelphis hosei).
Yannick Stephan - Mayotte Découverte
Reproduction
Sexually mature between 5 and 10 years old, it breeds all year round and gives birth to a calf after a 12-month gestation period and approximately every 2 years.
Diet
It feeds on a wide variety of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods hunted in groups in deep waters and on the surface.
Morphological characteristics for distinction at sea
- Head: short rostrum
- Fins and flippers: small and triangular dorsal fin, short and pointed pectoral fins
- Colouring: grey/blue back and whitish pink belly
Clink on the link to see the Fraser’s Dolphin in 3D:
Dauphin de Fraser / Fraser's Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei)
Maël Dewynter / CARI'MAM / Office français de la biodiversité
Dauphin de Fraser / Fraser's Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei)
Maël Dewynter / CARI'MAM / Office français de la biodiversité
Did you know?
Fraser's Dolphin is sometimes referred to as the 'piggy dolphin' because of its stocky appearance and pink belly.