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The Melon-headed dolphin
Peponocephala electra
​General description
The melon-headed dolphin has an elongated, streamlined torpedo-shaped body. Its anterior part is cylindrical, while the posterior part is slightly laterally compressed. Its head, triangular and pointed, is characterized by a globose melon, and its rostrum is not visible in adults. The dorsal fin, located in the center of its back, is high, falcate, and has a broad base with a rounded tip. Its coloring is black or dark gray, with the exception of the lips and the pectoral and urogenital areas, which are light gray or white.
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Habitat
This dolphin is a pelagic cetacean that frequents deep tropical and subtropical waters.
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Diet
The diet of the melon-headed dolphin is opportunistic, consisting mainly of cephalopods such as squid. It also feeds on fish and crustaceans, occasionally other dolphins.
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Behavior
Melon-headed dolphins are very gregarious and live in groups of 5 to 30 individuals, although they can form herds of several hundred individuals. Fast swimmers, they sometimes perform jumps, strike the water surface with their tail fin or rise out of the water by spinning around. According to Brownell's (2009) study, Electra's dolphins follow a daily cycle. They rest and socialize in the morning and afternoon in relatively shallow waters, 70 to 400 meters. In the evening, they migrate to deeper areas, up to 1300 meters, to hunt mesopelagic prey which rise to the surface at night. This behavior reflects an adaptation to the availability of their prey in the water column, influenced by nocturnal vertical migration.
Family : Delphinidae​​
Height (m)​​
Weight (Kg)
Lifespan (years)
Sexual Maturity
(years)
Gestation
(month)
2.20 - 2.70
2.20 - 2.70
20 – 30
16.5
2.20 - 2.70
160 - 170
20 – 30
11.5
12
Global distribution of the electra dolphin, adapted from Plön, Stephanie. 2016. “A conservation assessment of Peponocephala electra.”. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa.
Observations dans es petites Antilles (CCS)
Whalewatcher's Corner
Rare
Fréquent
Observation :
Not to be confused with :
- Tropical pilot whale
- Pseudorca
- Pygmy killer whale
Main threats
Tropical pilot whales are mainly threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, particularly millet nets or trawls for example. They are also heavily hunted cetaceans in the Caribbean. There is also a risk of collision with ships, which can injure or even kill them.
Least concern
IUCN Status :
References
- Sylvestre, Jean-Pierre. 2014. Cetaceans of the World Systematics, Ethology, Biology, Ecology, Status. Practical Guide. Éditions Quae
- Baumann-Pickering, S., Roch, M.A., Wiggins, S.M. et al. Acoustic behavior of melon-headed whales varies on a diel cycle. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 69, 1553–1563 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1967-0
- NOAA Fisheries
- International Whaling Commision