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Lissodelphis borealis (Northern Right Whale Dolphin)

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Image credit: Janice Waite, NMML

Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Scientific Name Lissodelphis borealis
Taxonomic Rank Species
Original Description (Peale, 1848)
Scientific Synonyms (since 1950)
None.
Common Name
Northern Right Whale Dolphin
All Common Names English: northern right-whale dolphin, northern right whale dolphin
Spanish: Delfín-ballena norteño
Taxonomic Parents Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Chordata
    Subphylum: Vertebrata
      Class: Mammalia
        Subclass: Theria
          Infraclass: Eutheria
            Order: Cetacea
              Suborder: Odontoceti
                Family: Delphinidae
                  Genus: Lissodelphis
Taxonomic Children
Taxonomic # 180454
Taxonomic data is courtesy of the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Physical Description / Field Identification
The northern right whale dolphin and its Southern Hemisphere relative are the slenderest of all small cetaceans. At close range, northern right whale dolphins are unmistakable; they are the only small cetaceans in their range with no dorsal fin. The flukes and flippers are small, and the beak is short, but well-defined.

Northern right whale dolphins are primarily black, with a white band from the throat to the fluke notch that widens to cover the entire area between the flippers, and a white spot just behind the tip of the lower jaw. The trailing edges of the flukes have light gray edging above and white below. Young animals have muted color patterns of dark gray and light gray.

The mouth contains 37-54 pairs of sharp slender teeth in each jaw.

Measured adults have been up to 2.3 m (females) and 3.1 m (males). Length at birth is unknown, but is thought to be somewhat less than 1 m. Maximum known weight is 115 kg.


Can be Confused With
The slender finless body will allow easy separation from other North Pacific small cetaceans. However, porpoising California sea lions may cause confusion at a distance.

Distribution
The northern right whale dolphin is an oceanic species, inhabiting cool and warm temperate regions of the North Pacific only between about 30°N and 50°N. It forms an antitropical species pair with the southern right whale dolphin.
Links to Distribution Map at Sea Around Us Project

Map of OBIS-SEAMAP Data Points

Existing observations across multiple datasets within OBIS-SEAMAP are indicated with red points.
Species distributions (pink background polygon if present) were digitized by Kristin Kaschner as part of the Sea Around Us Project predominantly from Jefferson et al (1993).

Reference
Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood, and M.A. Webber. 1993. FAO species identification guide. Marine mammals of the world. Rome, FAO. 1993.320. p. 587 figs.

Ecology and Behavior
Most herds number between 100 and 200 individuals, but groups of up to 3,000 have been seen. Groups mixed with other marine mammals, especially Pacific-white-sided dolphins (with which they share a nearly identical range), are not uncommon. Northern right whale dolphins are fast swimmers, sometimes creating a great surface disturbance with their low-angle leaps and belly flops. They bowride, especially when accompanied by other species of dolphins.

There appears to be a calving peak in winter to early spring.


Feeding and Prey
Although market squid and lanternfish are the major prey items for right whale dolphins off southern California, a variety of surface and midwater species are taken by this species.

Threats and Status
Northern right whale dolphins have never been hunted extensively, although they are sometimes taken in Japan’s small cetacean fisheries. Incidental catches have occurred in Japanese and Russian purse seines, Japanese salmon driftnets, and Anerican shark and swordfish drifnets. However, the largest takes in recent years were in the North Pacific squid driftnet fisheries, which took many thousands annually, until they were shut-down by international law in the 1990s. Not Listed (IUCN); Not Listed (ESA).

References

BAIRD, R. W., AND P. J. STACEY. 1991. Status of the northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 105:243-250.

DIZON, A. E., C. A. LEDUC, AND R. G. LEDUC. 1994. Intraspecific structure of the northern right whale dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis) the power of an analysis of molecular variation for differentiating genetic stocks. CALCOFI Reports 35:61-67.

FERRERO, R. C., AND W. A. WALKER. 1993. Growth and reproduction of the northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis, in the offshore waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71:2335-2344.

JEFFERSON, T. A., AND M. W. NEWCOMER. 1993. Lissodelphis borealis. Mammalian Species 425:6 pp.

JEFFERSON, T. A., M. W. NEWCOMER, S. LEATHERWOOD, AND K. VAN WAEREBEEK. 1994. Right whale dolphins Lissodelphis borealis (Peale, 1848) and Lissodelphis peronii (Lacepede, 1804). Pp. 335-362 in S. H. Ridgway and R. Harrison, eds. Handbook of marine mammals, Volume 5 The first book of dolphins. Academic Press.

LIPSKY, J. D. 2002. Right whale dolphins Lissodelphis borealis and L. peronii. Pp. 1030-1033 in W. F. Perrin, B. Würsig and J. G. M. Thewissen, eds. Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press.

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