CreatureData

Dusky dolphin

Lagenorhynchus obscurus (Gray, 1828)

LCLeast Concernwhales and dolphins

The dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) is a species in the family Delphinidae, order Cetacea. Recorded adults weigh 80 kg to 127.5 kg and live up to 35 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus)
Photo: AllenMcC. · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the dusky dolphin

Weight
80 kg – 127.5 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
35 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Piscivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
36 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
274 days – 351 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
1src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
5 years – 7 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
0.418src for Litters or clutches a year
Active
Day and night (cathemeral)src for Active
Lifestyle
Marinesrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the dusky dolphin live?

Not recorded

What is the dusky dolphin?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The dusky dolphin (Aethalodelphis obscurus) is a small oceanic dolphin found in coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere. It is most closely related to the Pacific white-sided dolphin. The dolphin's range is patchy, major populations occurring around South America, southwestern Africa, New Zealand, and several oceanic islands, with some sightings around southern Australia. It has a somewhat stocky body with a short beak and a curved dorsal fin and flippers. Like its closest relative, the dusky dolphin has a multi-coloured pigmentation of black, grey, and white.

The species prefers cool currents and inshore waters. It lives in a fission–fusion society where groups change size based on social and environmental conditions. The dolphin feeds on several fish and squid species and has flexible hunting tactics, including daytime bait ball herding and nightime feeding in layers of scattered organisms. Mating is promiscuous, and several males will chase after a single female, the fittest being able to catch her and reproduce. Females raise their young in nursery groups. The dusky dolphin is known for its acrobatics, displaying leaping behaviours which vary in complexity and may or may not create splashes.

The dusky dolphin is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List as many populations appear to be healthy and stable. It has been caught in gill nets and killed to be used as bait. It is a popular tourist attraction and the object of whale watching tours. Both vessels and mussel farms can interfere with the dolphin's activities.

From the Wikipedia article “Dusky dolphin” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dusky_dolphin&oldid=1379844254), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the dusky dolphin endangered?

The dusky dolphin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the dusky dolphin classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderCetacea
  5. familyDelphinidae
  6. genusLagenorhynchus
  7. SpeciesLagenorhynchus obscurus (Gray, 1828)

Synonyms Aethalodelphis obscurus, Clymene similis, Clymenia obscura, Clymenia similis, Delphinus obscurus, Delphinus obscurus, Delphinus superciliosus, Electra breviceps, Lagenodelphis obscurus, Lagenorhynchus breviceps, Lagenorhynchus fitzroy, Lagenorhynchus fitzroyi, Lissodelphis panope, Phocaena fitzroyi, Prodelphinus obscurus, Prodelphinus petersii, Sagmatias obscurus, Tursio obscurus

Other names and names in other languages (7)
  • Beakless dolphinEnglish
  • Gray’s dusky dolphinEnglish
  • vaaldolfynAfrikaans
  • delfín obscuroSpanish
  • delfin de FitzroySpanish
  • dauphin obscurFrench
  • dauphin sombreFrench

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the dusky dolphin

Other species in the same genus Lagenorhynchus.

CompareDusky dolphin vs White-beaked dolphinDusky dolphin vs Atlantic white-sided dolphinDusky dolphin vs Hourglass dolphinDusky dolphin vs Pacific white-sided dolphin

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the dusky dolphin?

An adult dusky dolphin weighs 80 kg – 127.5 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the dusky dolphin endangered?

The dusky dolphin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the dusky dolphin live?

The dusky dolphin has a recorded lifespan of 35 years.

How long is the dusky dolphin pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 274 days – 351 days.

What kind of animal is the dusky dolphin?

The dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) belongs to the family Delphinidae in the order Cetacea.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/dusky-dolphin

MLA

“Dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/dusky-dolphin.

BibTeX
@misc{dusky_dolphin_2026,
  title = {Dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/dusky-dolphin},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}