Far from home: record of a vagrant striped dolphin in Patagonia with notes on diet, parasites and age determination

LOIZAGA DE CASTRO, R.; LEONARDI, S.; GRANDI, M.F.; GARCÍA, N.A.; CRESPO, E.A.

MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2011 vol. 76 p. 521 - 524

1616-5047

The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) (Meyen, 1833) is a pelagic small cetacean withprimary distribution in tropical and subtropical waters. Here, we present a record of a vagrantindividual of striped dolphin in Patagonia, out of its distribution range. The animal was 1 year old,measured 148 cm. and weighted 35 Kg. The specimen was classified as immature due to the small development of the epididymis and the absence of spermatozoa in testicular smear. Helminths found belong to two families of Cestoda: cysts of Phyllobothrium delphini  (Phyllobothriidae) and Tetrabothrius sp. (Tetrabothriidae). In addition, 1 Pholeter gastrophilus (Digenea: Pholeteridae) was collected. In the stomach we found two cephalopod beaks, identified as argentine shortfin squid and lesser shining bobtail and 6 crystallines of non-identified small fishes. This stranding event constitutes the 9th record and the most southern record for the species at the Argentine coast and documentation of the striped dolphin as part of the cetacean biodiversity of Argentina