Lagenorhynchus acutus
Atlantic white-sided dolphin

The distribution of the Atlantic white-sided dolphin is the cool temperate and subartic waters of the north Atlantic Ocean from southern Greenland to Massachusetts, and from the British Isles to western Norway. It has also been reported as far as the sourthern Barents Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Azores, and the Adriatic Sea.

Lagenorhynchus acutus is typically found in cool pelagic waters, where its major predators are killer whales and sharks. Since it usually prefers the open water, L. acutus is not commonly seen from shore. It mostly occupies waters of 40 to 270 m in depth around the continental shelf. L. acutus seems to prefer a surface temperature between 6 to 20 degrees Celsius and areas with low salinity.

Lagenorhynchus acutus ranges from 2.5 to 3 meters in length. The pectoral fin is about 30 cm in length and the dorsal fin may be up to 50 cm in height. The tail flukes range from 30 to 60 cm across. Females may be considerably smaller than males and average only 182 kg.

The dorsal region of L. acutus is black, while its sides are gray. The ventral regions are white from the lower jaw to just past the anus. Within the gray sides are yellowish white patches, which are probably its most distinct characteristic (Minasian et al., 1984). Black rings around the eyes are also present. The dorsal fin is tall, sharply curved and pointed at the tip, giving the species the name acutus or, Latin for "sharp". Lagenorhynchus acutus has a stocky body with sickle shaped fins and a thick tail stock. The beak is prominent with 30 to 40 pairs of pointed teeth. (Minasian, Balcomb, and Foster, 1984)

Lagenorhynchus acutus is a gregarious species and may be found in groups of up to 1,000 individuals. However, groups of only 6 to 8 individuals are more common off of Canada and in other places along the western Atlantic. Inshore herds are also small, ranging from about 10 to 60 animals. It seems that immature animals and newly mature males are absent from larger breeding groups, which may indicate some form of segregation among the herds (Atlantic white-sided dolphin, 1999).

Lagenorhynchus acutus typically dives for less than five minutes. These animals are sometimes seen riding the bow waves of larger species.

Mass strandings of L. acutus are common on northern Altantic shores. The strandings sometimes occur in groups of 3 to 15 or more animals, although they usaully occur in pairs (National Marine Life Center, 1999). The last major stranding of L. acutus occured on Cape Cod in 1995, when approximately 30 animals were beached on the shore (Dolphin Death Toll Tops 70 on Cape Cod, 1998). Lagenorhynchus acutus does not usually survive strandings (Knapp, 1999).

Lagenorhynchus acutus appears to be very nomadic but, there are no data showing a set of seasonal migrations. The distribution patterns may correspond to abundance of important prey species (Klinowska, 1991). (Klinowska, 1991)

The prey of L. acutus is usually a combination of shrimp, smelt, hake, squid and herring. These animals may separate from their school in order to feed more efficiently.

A small number are caught in fishing nets each year, causing damage to fishing productivity.

Occasionally, L. acutus is captured deliberately by fisherman off Newfoundland, Norway, and the British Isles, presumably to be sold in fresh meat markets (Nowak, 1999). Historically, L. acutus has also been hunted by Greenland. The Faeroe Islands take hundreds of L. acutus every year, by driving large schools ashore (CETACEA: Lagenorhynchus acutus, 1999). Unlike many other dolphin species, L. acutus has not been reported to be in captivity (Atlantic white-sided dolphin, 1999).

Data on the population size of L. acutus is scarce but, the species is usually considered regionally abundant. The main threats today come from pollutants and entanglement in fishing gear (Whale and Dolphin Species Information, Humpback Whale and others, 1999).