The short-beaked common dolphin is a small, slender dolphin between 5 and 8 feet (1.5-2.4 m) in length. They weigh 176-330 pounds (80-150 kg). Females are usually smaller than males.
They have long, sharp beaks; triangular dorsal fins; and triangular flippers with pointed tips. They have a black or brownish-gray back and a creamy-white underside, and a dark streak that runs from their lower jaw to their flippers. Their sides are marked with an hourglass or crisscross pattern of light gray, yellow, or tan bands.
The short-beaked common dolphin is usually found in offshore coastal waters, but it is also found in the open sea.
The short-beaked common dolphin feeds in groups and eats as much as 20 pounds of food a day. It eats small fish like herring, pilchard, anchovies, nocturnal hake, and sardines. The dolphins will work together to herd the fish into tight groups, making it easier to catch their prey. They also eat squid and octopus.
The female gives birth to one calf 10-12 months after mating. When it is about 6 months old, the calf begins to feed on fish, but it continues to nurse for another year.
Young dolphins remain with their family group. The short-beaked common dolphin has a lifespan of 30-40 years.
The short-beaked common dolphin is a very social animal and lives in large pods or groups. The pods usually have from 20 to several hundred members, but pods can contain thousands of dolphins. Short-beaked common dolphins are fast swimmers and like to ride on waves.
The short-beaked common dolphin is also known as the common dolphin, the saddle-backed dolphin, the hourglass dolphin, and the crisscross dolphin.
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The short-beaked common dolphin is found in ocean waters off of the coast of New Hampshire.
The short-beaked common dolphin is found in tropical to cool temperate waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In North America, it is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to northern South America as well as in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Pacific Ocean from Victoria, British Columbia to the equator.
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