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Australian humpback dolphin

Mammals

The Australian humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis) is a coastal dolphin of northern Australian and southern New Guinean waters and the fourth humpback dolphin species to be recognized, scientifically described in July 2014 in the journal Marine Mammal Science. Its name comes from the Sahul Shelf, the shallow shelf between northern Australia and southern New Guinea where it lives. It is dark gray with a lighter belly separated by a diagonal cape line, has a short, low, triangular dorsal fin without the hump of its Atlantic and Indian Ocean relatives, and reaches roughly 2.7 metres and 230 to 250 kilograms as an adult. It feeds opportunistically on estuarine and inshore reef fish, can live at least thirty years, and is listed as vulnerable, with numbers declining from bycatch in nets, habitat loss, vessel strikes, pollution and climate change.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Piscivore 1
Population Trend
Decreasing 1
System (Realm)
Marine 1
Threats
Transportation and Service Corridors 1
Threats
Biological Resource Use 1
Threats
Human Intrusions and Disturbance 1
Threats
Pollution 1
Threats
Climate Change and Severe Weather 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Conservation Status
Vulnerable 2
Body Size Band
Large 1
Lifespan
30 1
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Appendix I 2
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Delphinidae, Taxa
Source GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sousa sahulensis in the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Sousa, Taxa
Source Australian humpback dolphin (Wikipedia)

In Biome

Coral Reef, Biomes
Source Australian humpback dolphin (Wikipedia)
Estuary, Biomes
Source Australian humpback dolphin (Wikipedia)
Mangrove Forest, Biomes
Source Australian humpback dolphin (Wikipedia)
Seagrass Meadow, Biomes
Source Australian humpback dolphin (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Australia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source SeaLifeBase: SeaLifeBase: Sousa sahulensis summaryDistribution
Quote, Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean: from northern Australia to southern New Guinea.
New Guinea

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source SeaLifeBase: SeaLifeBase: Sousa sahulensis summaryDistribution
Quote, Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean: from northern Australia to southern New Guinea.
Sources
1. Australian humpback dolphin (Wikipedia)
  • Appearance
    adult weight is between 507-550 lb
  • Food and foraging
    eating a wide variety of coastal-estuarine and inshore reef fish
  • Life history paragraph
    Individuals may live for at least 30 years.
  • Lead
    This vulnerable species' population was estimated to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals in 2015
  • Lead, population trend
    with numbers declining because of habitat destruction
  • Food and foraging, system
    (mangroves, sandy-bottom estuaries, seagrass meadows, and inshore coral reefs)
  • Conservation and management
    incidental captures in gill nets and shark nets set for bather protection, habitat loss and degradation, vessel strikes, pollution, and climate change
  • Diet paragraph
    These dolphins are known to be opportunistic, generalist feeders, eating a wide variety of coastal-estuarine and inshore reef fish.
  • Behaviour paragraph
    Australian humpback dolphins have been observed strand feeding, as described for the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin.
  • Lead, population trend (2)
    This vulnerable species' population was estimated to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals in 2015, with numbers declining because of habitat destruction.
  • Feeding paragraph
    These marine mammals are occasionally seen chasing fish into shallows and beaching themselves to catch their prey.
  • Threats paragraph, net captures
    Due to their coastal distribution, Australian humpback dolphins are vulnerable to a variety of threats including incidental captures in gill nets and shark nets set for bather protection, habitat loss and degradation, vessel strikes, pollution, and climate change.
  • Threats paragraph, vessel strikes
    Due to their coastal distribution, Australian humpback dolphins are vulnerable to a variety of threats including incidental captures in gill nets and shark nets set for bather protection, habitat loss and degradation, vessel strikes, pollution, and climate change.
  • Threats paragraph, pollution
    Due to their coastal distribution, Australian humpback dolphins are vulnerable to a variety of threats including incidental captures in gill nets and shark nets set for bather protection, habitat loss and degradation, vessel strikes, pollution, and climate change.
  • Threats paragraph, climate change
    Due to their coastal distribution, Australian humpback dolphins are vulnerable to a variety of threats including incidental captures in gill nets and shark nets set for bather protection, habitat loss and degradation, vessel strikes, pollution, and climate change.
  • Food and foraging, marine mammals
    These marine mammals are occasionally seen chasing fish into shallows and beaching themselves to catch their prey.
  • Conservation and management, bycatch
    incidental captures in gill nets and shark nets set for bather protection
  • Conservation and management, pollution
    vessel strikes, pollution, and climate change
  • Conservation and management, climate change
    pollution, and climate change
  • Conservation and management, vessel strikes
    vessel strikes
  • Behaviour, living animals
    Australian humpback dolphins have been observed strand feeding
  • Child Taxon Of: Sousa, Life history, genus
    within the Sousa genus
  • In Group: Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises), Lead, group
    The Australian humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis) is a species of humpback dolphin
  • In Biome: Mangrove Forest, Food and foraging, habitat mangrove-forest
    Feeding may occur in a variety of habitats (mangroves, sandy-bottom estuaries, seagrass meadows, and inshore coral reefs)
  • In Biome: Seagrass Meadow, Food and foraging, habitat seagrass-meadow
    Feeding may occur in a variety of habitats (mangroves, sandy-bottom estuaries, seagrass meadows, and inshore coral reefs)
  • In Biome: Coral Reef, Food and foraging, habitat coral-reef
    Feeding may occur in a variety of habitats (mangroves, sandy-bottom estuaries, seagrass meadows, and inshore coral reefs)
  • In Biome: Estuary, Food and foraging, habitat estuary
    Feeding may occur in a variety of habitats (mangroves, sandy-bottom estuaries, seagrass meadows, and inshore coral reefs)
View the Source
2. SeaLifeBase: SeaLifeBase: Sousa sahulensis summary
SeaLifeBase
  • CITES status
    Appendix I: International trade banned
  • IUCN Red List Status
    Vulnerable (VU) (C2a(i)); Date assessed: 16 May 2015
View the Source
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sousa sahulensis in the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
  • Distributions, IUCN Red List global status
    threatStatus: VULNERABLE
  • Child Taxon Of: Delphinidae, Species record
    family: Delphinidae
View the Source
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