Spinner dolphin

The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small oceanic dolphin found in tropical waters worldwide, named for the acrobatic spinning leaps it performs. Adults measure 129 to 235 centimeters in length and weigh 23 to 79 kilograms, with an elongated beak, a triangular or subtriangular dorsal fin, and a three part color pattern of dark gray on the back, light gray on the sides and pale gray or white underneath, though the shape of the dorsal fin varies by population. It follows a predictable daily pattern, resting in shallow coastal waters and around islands during the day before moving offshore to feed at night, and lives in loose, changeable social groups with promiscuous mating; gestation lasts about ten months, with females maturing at four to seven years and males at seven to ten. The species ranges through tropical and subtropical waters of every ocean between about 40 degrees north and 40 degrees south, feeding mainly on small mesopelagic fish, squid and shrimp at depths of 200 to 300 meters.