ces away to frolic in its bow
wave. (_Photo by M. Bartlett._)]

[Illustration: Figure 123.--A spinner dolphin jumping close beside a
research vessel off the Virgin Islands. The distinctive color pattern
(gray on the back, tan on the sides, and white on the belly) is clearly
visible. The black-tipped rostrum and the black lips are key characters
to this species. (_Photo by C. McCann._)]

[Illustration: Figure 124.--Spinner dolphins are active bow riders and
may stay with a vessel for long periods of time. (_Photo from off the
Virgin Islands by H. E. Winn._)]

[Illustration: Figure 125.--Although all spinner dolphins so far
examined have the same basic characteristics, the degree of expression
of those characteristics varies from individual to individual or area to
area. These small short-snouted dolphins (those on bottom stranded near
St. Petersburg, Fla. and maintained alive by the Aquatarium in that
city, and those on top photographed at sea, off the northwestern Africa
coast in 1972) are spinners, although their classification is uncertain.
There may be several species or geographical races of spinners in the
Atlantic. (_Photos courtesy of W. F. Perrin (top) and Aquatarium
(bottom)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 126.--A spinner dolphin harpooned in the fishery
at St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles. Even after subtle aspects of the color
pattern have faded, this species can be readily identified by the 46-65
teeth in both upper and lower jaws and by the distinctly black lips and
black-tipped rostrum. (_Photo by W. A. Huck, courtesy of Marineland of
Florida._)]

STRIPED DOLPHIN (T)

_Stenella coeruleoalba_ (Meyen 1833)

Other Common Names

Euphrosyne dolphin (_Stenella styx_), Meyen's dolphin, blue-white
dolphin, Gray's dolphin, striped porpoise, streaker porpoise.

Description

The striped dolphin is a widely distributed relative of the spinner and
the Atlantic spotted dolphins, though it more closely resembles
saddleback dolphins than either of these two species. It reaches a
maximum length of about 9 feet (2.7 m) and is characterized by a series
of distinctive black stripes. One band of black begins near the eye and
extends down the side of the body to the area of the anus. (A small
secondary stripe originating with this band turns off and disappears in
the white coloration of the side just above the flippers.) A second band
of black extends from the eye to the flipper. Some workers have
contended that