The dusky dolphin is a dolphin found in coastal waters in the Southern Hemisphere. Its specific epithet is Latin for "dark" or "dim". It is very closely genetically related to the Pacific white-sided dolphin, but current scientific consensus holds they are distinct species. The dolphin's range is patchy, with major populations around South America, southwestern Africa, New Zealand, and various oceanic islands, with some sightings around southern Australia and Tasmania. The dusky dolphin prefers cool currents and inshore waters, but can also be found offshore. It feeds on a variety of fish and squid species and has flexible hunting tactics. The dusky dolphin is known for its remarkable acrobatics, having a number of aerial behaviours. The status of the dolphin is unknown, but it has been commonly caught in gill nets.
Dusky dolphin
Dusky dolphin drawings in Plate 5 of Mammalogy section in Mammalogy and Ornithology (1858)
Closeup of dusky dolphin surfacing
Dusky dolphins of New Zealand
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae, Platanistidae, Iniidae, Pontoporiidae, and possibly extinct Lipotidae. There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.
A common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
The face of a common bottlenose dolphin
A pod of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the Red Sea
Dolphins surfing at Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia