As the name indicates, these dolphins have an identifiable striped pattern on their body. They are blue with white stripes that are found on the lateral body areas as well as the dorsal. The stripes can also be light gray or cream colored. They have darker coloring on the sides than underneath. The colors often depend on the habitat so that they can blend in well with their surroundings. The stripes and clored patterns become more evident as the Striped Dolphin gets older.
They also have a long beak with a tall dorsal fin. They feature dark black stripes on the long, narrow flippers. They can grow to a length of approximately 9 feet. They can weigh up to 350 pounds. The females are usually smaller with an overall length of approximately 8 feet and they weigh about 20 pounds less than the males. The body is medium sized and very detailed for them to easily move through the water. They have from 43 to 50 pairs of teeth that are small but sharp and cone shaped. They are located both in the upper and the lower jaws.
Distribution
The Striped Dolphin is found living in warm bodies of water around the world. This includes the oceans and the various tropical seas. They also live around the Gulf of Mexico. They are diverse in their habitat as they live both in shore and off shore. They tend to prefer water that ranges from 52 degrees Fahrenheit to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. They are most likely to be found around convergence zones and areas of upwelling.
The movements of the Striped Dolphins are very interesting to experts. They have found them to be outside of typical ranges. Perhaps it is due to lack of food or habitat destruction in their normal locations. Some of the areas where they have been spotted include Prince Edward Island, the Southern portion of Greenland, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and Faroe Islands. They don’t seem to have found their way to the colder waters that are around Alaska, so such reports are false.
(source:google/http://www.dolphins-world.com/)
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