Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lissodelphis
Species: L. peronii
Binomial name: Lissodelphis peronii
Common name: Southern right whale dolphin
The Southern right whale dolphin (Lissodelphis peronii) is a small and slender species of mammal that has a circumpolar distribution in the cool waters of the Southern Hemisphere. They are predominantly oceanic, occurring in deep, offshore waters. They are only rarely encountered in near-shore waters, generally, it is in coastal regions that have a steep continental slope with deep waters close to shore, like the Kaikoura canyon that has a water depth of over 1500 m.
Southern right whale dolphin share their range with Dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus). Despite coming from a completely different genus, the two species are often seen in close association.
The Southern right whale dolphin has no dorsal fin, ridge or hump. The flippers are curved and pointed, the flukes are relativity small with a trailing edge and a white underside. The white colouration of the ventral area extends well up the sides; the sharp line demarcating black above and white below runs from the tailstock forward, dips down to the flipper insertion, and then sweeps back up to cross the melon between the blowhole and snout crease.
The flippers are generally white, but the trailing edge has a black band. The flukes are white below.
The mouth is lined with 44 to 49 sharp, pointed teeth in each row. They have a body length of between 1.8 -2.9 kg but up to 3.1 kg and with weights between 60 – 100 but up to 116 kg.
They can dive to over 200m to feed on a variety of fish and squid. They are gregarious animals living in large porpoising pods. They sometimes approach boats.
Virtually nothing is known about their reproduction.
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