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A record of Striped DolphinStenella coeruleoalba(Meyen,1833) from theTurkish Mediterranean SeacoastRagnar Kinzelbach aa General and Systematic Zoology, University ofRostock, Universitätsplatz 2, 18055, Rostock,GermanyVersion of record first published: 28 Feb 2013.

To cite this article: Ragnar Kinzelbach (1997): A record of Striped Dolphin Stenellacoeruleoalba (Meyen,1833) from the Turkish Mediterranean Sea coast, Zoology inthe Middle East, 15:1, 15-18

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09397140.1997.10637733

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A record of Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba(Meyen, 1833) from the Turkish Mediterranean Sea coast

by Ragnar Kinzelbach

Abstract: The mummified carcass of a pregnant female of the Striped Dolphin Slenel/acoeruleoa/ba was found on the beach of the Gtlksu delta (Silifke, Turkey, Mediterranean Sea)on 25 July 1996. This appears to be the first published record for Turkey.

Kurzfassung: Ein mumifizierter Kadaver eines trlichtigen Weibchens des StreifendelphinsSlenel/a coeruleoalba wurde an 25. Juli 1996 am Strand des Gtlksu-Deltas (Silifke, TUrkei,Mittelmeer) gefunden. Es handelt sich offenbar urn den ersten publizierten Nachweis fur dieTUrkeL

Key words: Striped Dolphin, Slenel/a coeru/eoalba, Turkey, Mediterranean Sea.

IntroductionThe Striped Dolphin, also known as Meyen's Dolphin, Greek Dolphin, and EuphrosyneDolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833), is widespread worldwide in the warm zonesof the oceans (ROBINEAU et ai. 1994). It is at present undoubtedly the most abundantcetacean in the Mediterranean Sea, recorded by strandings and offshore observations (e. g.SYLVESTRE 1984a, UNEP 1994), but is much less often recorded from the easternMediterranean (MARCHESSEAUX 1980). Although UNEP (1994) lists the Striped Dolphin forTurkey, I could not find any published record.

There may have been a change in population density during the last 20 years, with anincreasing number of observations compared with the Common Dolphin (Delphinusde/phis). It has been suggested that the Striped Dolphin may have stepped into theecological niche left by the Common Dolphin (UNEP 1994). However, it should also beconsidered that it may has been confused and misidentified in the past as many of thefrequent ancient Greek and Roman pictures of dolphins seem to refer to the Striped Dolphin.

ROBINEAU et ai. (1994) do not accept previous attempts to identify subspecies. There is adifference in size between specimens from the north-east Atlantic and the Mediterranean Seaaccording to SYLVESTRE (1984b) and DI-MEGLIO (1993). There is also considerablevariation in the colour pattern (e.g. FRASER & NOBLE 1970), which has so far not beencorrelated with geographical variation. Perhaps dark, less visibly striped specimens aredominant in the Eastern Mediterranean, suggesting the existence of a separate subspecies,the "true" Greek or Euphrosyne Dolphin. This has yet to be proven. For variation in thecolour pattern, see FRASER & NOBLE (1970).

Zoology in the Middle East 15,1997: 15-18.ISSN 0939-7140 © Max Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg

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16 Zoology in the Middle East 15, 1997

The recordOn a sandy beach of the G6ksu-Delta (Silifke. Turkey). 0.5 km west of the outlet of theParadeniz lagoon. the mummified body of a dolphin. a pregnant female. was discovered on25 July 1996 and was dissected on 31 July 1996. The carcass was already far toodecomposed for a detailed investigation. The animal was most probably accidentally caughtin a fishing net and drowned. some additional lesions having been applied post mortem. Itssnout was broken and there were some cuts on the skin of the last third of the body. Theanterior edges of the flippers showed clear impressions of net-meshes. A rope was tomaround the base of the tail fin. indicating that the carcass had been pulled out of the water byfishermen. The skull of the mother (Fig. 1) and the bones of the foetus were saved andprepared. The specimens are deposited in the Zoology Collection ofRostock University.

From the characters of the skull given by ROBlNEAU et al. (1994) the carcasses weredetermined as Stenella coeruleoalba. This species originally was described as Delphinuscoeruleoalba from Rio de la Plata, South America, the holotype being in the RoyalAnatomical Museum Berlin (K6nigliche Anatomische Sammlung 8732). now in the NaturalHistory Museum (Naturkundemuseum) of the Humboldt University in Berlin (ZMB 51 226).

The total actual length of the female was approximately 191 cm; from the snout tip to theanterior base of the dorsal fin 81 cm; length of the (shrunken) flipper 23 cm. A strikingfeature was the high number of small teeth with a diameter of 3.2-3.5mm, most of themactually lost. Their estimated number according to the cavities was dorsally 38-42. ventrallymuch more than 30. The ventral part of the rostrum lacks the two furrows typical forDelphinus. and the dorsal premaxillaria are not fused.

As an occasional immigrant through the Suez Canal. Sousa chinensis was also taken intoconsideration.

The measurements of some important details are typical for Stenella coeruleoalba. butthey are not complete in consequence of the fractures of the frontal parts of rostrum andmandible. The specimen is somewhat smaller than the average for Striped Dolphins from theAtlantic Ocean.

The most important measurements of the skull (more are available on request):

parameter

Condylobasallength (incompl.)Rostrum length (incompl.)Breadth of rostrum near basePreorbital breadthPostorbital breadthMandible lengthMandible height

length

>358 mm>194 mm

104mm190 mm212mm

>323 mm66 mm

The foetus was distorted to some extent and was actually 31 cm long (Fig. 2). Its skin wasperforated and partly tom away by the activities of Ghost Crabs (Ocypode cursor). whichare frequent at this site. The bones. although not yet entirely calcified, are well preserved.

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Mammalia 17

Fig. 1. Skull ofa female Stenella coeru/eoa/ba from GOksu-Dclta from lateral and ventral(Bildstclle der Universitllt Rostock).

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18 Zoology in the Middle East IS, 1997

Further observationsThree occasional close-up sightings ofsurfing or jumping animals under fair light conditionsfrom the Aegean and Levant Seas by the author may be added (cf. WEITKOWITZ 1992):

• 4 March 1980 at 8.45 a. m., two specimens far offshore en route from Crete to Cyprus,from aboard the ferryboat Koper-Latakia.

• 1 April 1980 at 10.30 a. m., a group of half a dozen north of the island Pontikonissionnear Cape Artemision (Evvia, Greece) from aboard the ferryboat Tartous-Volos.

• 1 April 1980 at 11.25 a. m., two specimens shortly before the inner entrance to the BayofVolos (Greece) from aboard the ferryboat Tartous-Volos.

Acknowledgements: The Authority of the Protected Special Areas (APSA) provided pennission to removethe specimen for further examination; Mr. Mehmet MENENGIC;: from the Silifke branch of the APSA kindlyhelped dissect the specimen; Dr. Renate ANGERMANN, Berlin, identified the holotype; Mrs. Nonna SCHMlTZ,Rostock, prepared the skeleton of the foetus; the Deutsches Meeresmuseum Stralsund finished thepreparation of the skull of the adult specimen; Mr. Axel HEUMANN, Rostock, took some measurements ofthe skull; Mrs. Sandra BLOMACHER, Rostock, provided some data from a more detailed comparativeinvestigation on dolphin skulls. Thanks to Dr. Adrian C. PONT for checking the English language of themanuscript.

ReferencesDI-MEGLIO, N. (1993): Etude de la croissance chez Stenella coeruleoalba (Cetacea,

Delphinidae). - Memoire pour I'obtention du diplOme de l'Ecole Pratique des HautesEtudes, Montpellier.

FRASER, F. C. & B. A. NOBLE (1970): Variations of pigmentation pattern in Meyen'sDolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen). - Investigations in Cetacea 2: 147-163, 7 pIs.,Berne.

ROBINEAU, D., R. DUGUY & M. KLIMA (1994): Handbuch der Sliugetiere Europas.Meeressliuger. Teil lA: Wale und Delphine 1. - Wiesbaden, 503 pp.

MARCHESSEAUX, D. (1980): A review of the current knowledge of the cetaceans in theEastern Mediterranean Sea. - Vie Marine 2: 2, Paris.

SYLVESTRE, J.-P. (1984a): Distribution of the Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, offthe French coasts. - Lujana 2 (3): 47-64, Berbourg (Luxembourg).

SYLVESTRE, J.-P. (1984b): Geographical variation of the Striped Dolphin, Stenellacoeruleoalba, in Western Mediterranean. - Lujana 2 (3): 65-86, Berbourg (Luxem­bourg).

UNEP (1994): Technical Report on the State ofCetaceans in the Mediterranean, prepared byGreenpeace and revised by IUCN. - Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) TechnicalReports Series No. 82: 1-37, Tunis.

WEITKOWITZ, W. (1992): Sightings of whales and dolphins in the Middle East (Cetacea).­Zoology in the Middle East 6: 5-12, Heidelberg,

Author's address: Prof. Dr. Ragnar Kinzelbach, General and Systematic Zoology, University ofRostock, Universitlitsplatz 2, 18055 Rostock, Germany.

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