25 August 2014

Possible striped/common dolphin hybrid



This individual has a markedly intermediate pigmentation, overlapping the patterns typical of striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins. It is thought to be an intergeneric hybrid resulting from interbreeding between the two species (genus Delphinus and Stenella), though genetic analyses would be needed to confirm such hypothesis.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

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