First record of a vagrant Commerson's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii, at the southern African continental shelf : short communication

First record of a vagrant Commerson's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii, at the southern African continental shelf : short communication

Commerson's Dolphins Cephalorhynchus commersonii are distributed in two disjunct populations, one around southern South America and the other around the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands. These populations have been shown to be morphologically and genetically distinct and movement between the two...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:African zoology Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 131 - 133
Main Authors: De Bruyn, P.J.N., De Villiers, M.S., Hofmeyr, G.J.G.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: NISC (Pty) Ltd 01-04-2006
Subjects:
Cephalorhynchus commersonii
Distribution
South Africa
Vagrant
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Summary:Commerson's Dolphins Cephalorhynchus commersonii are distributed in two disjunct populations, one around southern South America and the other around the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands. These populations have been shown to be morphologically and genetically distinct and movement between the two populations is unlikely. We report on the sighting of a single specimen over the South African continental shelf on 13 November 2004. To our knowledge this is the first record of this species in South African waters and such a vast distance (over 4000 km) from the known distribution limits.
ISSN:1562-7020
2224-073X