(Image credit: Dominic Clarke)

Adults are generally grey with paler sides and mottling. Juveniles are more uniformly grey but become paler with age. They have a long beak, pronounced melon and triangular dorsal fin which sits high on a large dorsal hump in the centre of the back.

Length: Up to 2.7 m

Habitat

Coastal waters, estuaries, embayments; 0-25 m depth

Regularly sighted in sub-tropical to tropical coastal regions of Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and occasionally New South Wales.

Log it

In Western Australia, log this species south of Shark Bay

Related links/info

Species names on the Redmap site are based on the Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota or CAAB (http://www.cmar.csiro.au/caab/). This is updated regularly and lists the approved common name, family, species name and more.

Species descriptions were provided by David Donnelly.

Related links:

Jefferson, T.A., Webber, M.A. & Pitman, R.L. 2015. Marine mammals of the world Second edition : a comprehensive guide to their identification. Academic Press, London.

DSEWPAC species sheets http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies

Bryden et al 1998. dugong, whales, dolphins and seals: a guide to the sea mammals of Australasia. Allen &Unwin.

Jefferson, T. A. and Rosenbaum, H.C. (2014). Taxonomic revision of the humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.), and description of a new species from Australia. marine Mammal Science 30(4): 1494-1541.

Jefferson, T.A., Curry, B.E. Eds (2016). Humpback Dolphins (Sousa spp.): Current Status and Conservation, Part 2. Vol 73, 2-326

Find further information and images at FISHES OF AUSTRALIA http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/

Dolphin Research Institute http://www.dolphinresearch.org.au/