# Spinner dolphin (*Stenella longirostris*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/spinner-dolphin  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a mammal in the whales and dolphins subgroup, belonging to the family Delphinidae in the order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti. It is a large, marine invertivore with a cathemeral activity pattern, and adults weigh 50.5 kg, with values up to 72.7 kg reported. Gestation lasts 316.5 days, litters average 0.99 young, and sexual maturity is reached at 5.3 years, with reported values from 3.0 to 10.0 years. The IUCN Red List assesses the spinner dolphin globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 50.5 kg – 72.7 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 20 years |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 29 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal |
| Gestation | 317 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 0.99 |
| Age at maturity | 2.99 years – 10 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.42 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Marine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Cetacea
- family: Delphinidae
- genus: Stenella
- species: *Stenella longirostris* (Gray, 1828)

Synonyms: *Clymene alope*, *Clymene microps*, *Clymene stenorhynchus*, *Clymenia alope*, *Clymenia longirostris*, *Clymenia microps*, *Clymenia roseiventris*, *Clymenia stenorhynchus*, *Delphinus longirostris*, *Delphinus stenorhynchus*, *Fretidelphis roseiventris*, *Prodelphinus alope*, *Prodelphinus longirostris*, *Prodelphinus longirostris*, *Prodelphinus microps*, *Prodelphinus roseiventris*, *Stenella alope*, *Stenella microps*, *Steno roseiventris*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the spinner dolphin?

The spinner dolphin is a mammal in the whales and dolphins subgroup, classified in the family Delphinidae, order Cetacea.

### How heavy is a spinner dolphin?

An adult spinner dolphin weighs 50.5 kg, and our sources report values up to 72.7 kg.

### What does the spinner dolphin eat?

The spinner dolphin is an invertivore, and its trophic level is carnivore.

### Is the spinner dolphin endangered?

No. The spinner dolphin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a spinner dolphin live?

The spinner dolphin has a lifespan of 20 years, with values up to 29 years reported by our sources.

### How long is the spinner dolphin's gestation period?

Gestation lasts 316.5 days, with values up to 319.6 days reported. Litters average 0.99 young, at 0.42 litters per year.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/spinner-dolphin