and belly becoming flipper to corner of mouth,
increasingly spotted with age. though the stripe tends to
As animals becomes more fade as spotting increases.
spotted, cape become less Cape on top of head more
distinct. Body has spinal distinct that on Atlantic
blaze and light line from spotted dolphin. Body has no
flipper to eye. spinal blaze.

At sea the Atlantic spotted dolphins may also be confused with
rough-toothed dolphins (p. 135).

Distribution

Atlantic spotted dolphins are a common species in the continental waters
of the tropical and warm temperate western North Atlantic. Although they
are far more abundant south of Cape Hatteras, they have been reported
from the latitude of Cape May, N.J. (some fishermen claim to have seen
them even further north) south through the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean to Venezuela. Atlantic spotted dolphins may be replaced around
the West Indies by the bridled dolphin.

Within this range, the Atlantic spotted dolphins appear to be generally
restricted to the waters outside the 100-fathom curve, most commonly
more than 5 miles offshore. However, populations in the Gulf of Mexico
move inshore in the late spring, and may approach close to shore during
spring and summer.

Stranded Specimens

Stranded Atlantic spotted dolphins may be difficult to distinguish from
bridled dolphins. If the color pattern is still clearly visible, the
differences in coloration described above, particularly those of the
head, and the presence or absence of a spinal blaze may be used. But
since external appearance other than coloration are often very similar,
specimens should be photographed from as many aspects as possible and
the entire specimen or the roughed-out complete skeleton transported to
a museum for preparation and examination. Tooth counts recorded for the
two species to date are also very similar.

[Illustration: Figure 115.--Atlantic spotted dolphins beside a research
vessel off Beaufort, N.C., September 1965. Adults of this species can be
identified by the spotting pattern and the white coloration of the lips.
(See also bridled dolphin, p. 108.) Young animals which lack spots may
be confused with the Atlantic bottlenosed dolphins though they are
smaller and are purplish gray on the back. (_Photo by G. T. Green._)]

[Illustration: Figure 116.--A side view of two female Atlantic spotted
dolphins from off St.