Taxon name
Stenella longirostris
(Gray, 1828)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Stenella longirostris
(Gray, 1828)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
(Gray, 1828)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Recent genetic work indicates that the genus Stenella is paraphyletic and it is likely that the Delphininae will be restructured in the coming years (LeDuc et al. 1999, Perrin et al. 2013). Four subspecies of Spinner Dolphins are currently recognized: S. l. longirostris (Gray's Spinner Dolphin), S. l. orientalis (Eastern Spinner Dolphin), S. l. centroamericana (Central American Spinner Dolphin) and S. l. roseiventris (Dwarf Spinner Dolphin) (Perrin 1990, Perrin et al. 1999). There is a zone of hydridisation between Gray's Spinner and the Eastern Spinner where an intermediate form called the White-bellied Spinner occurs (Andrews et al. 2013). Smaller individuals in Arabian waters (Red Sea and Arabian Gulf) (Van Waerebeek et al. 1999) and morphologically different animals in West Africa may represent as yet undescribed subspecies (Cadenat 1959, Jefferson et al. 1997). Several studies have demonstrated significant meta-population genetic structure, especially where relatively insular dolphin communities are strongly associated with island resting habitat such as in the Hawaiian Archipelago (Andrews et al. 2013) and in the South Pacific (Oremus et al. 2007).
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Data deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
In UAE waters this species is found in both Gulf waters and off the east coast. There is insufficient information available on population size or trends of this species in UAE waters, hence it is assessed as Data Deficient. No regional adjustment is made to the Data Deficient assessment.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/b352eff1/UNRL%20of%20Mammals%20-%20Report%202019.pdf.aspx?view=true
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Occurrence in the Arabian Gulf was first confirmed from skulls found on UAE offshore islands in 1995; it has since been sighted 20 km off the city of Dubai and its range continues to at least 100 km west of Abu Dhabi and also stretches eastwards around the Musandam Peninsula into the Indian Ocean (Baldwin 2005). There are no confirmed inshore sightings from the Gulf, where the water is shallower. Spinner Dolphins are also known from deep water east of Fujairah Port and offshore from Kalba. Globally, the species ranges through tropical and subtropical zones in both hemispheres approximately between 40'°N and 40'°S (Bearzi et al. 2012, Braulik and Reeves 2018).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Spinner Dolphins live well offshore in deep water, where they feed on small fish. Spinner Dolphins occur both in the open ocean and in inshore waters associated with islands or banks (Braulik and Reeves 2018).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The main threats to cetaceans in UAE waters include: incidental mortality in trawl, drift and anchored gill nets, depletion of prey populations (due in part to commercial overfishing); ship and boat strikes, disturbance due to underwater noise (including that from vessel traffic, drilling, piling, military operations and seismic activity related to offshore oil and gas exploration). Inshore and shallow-water species are further potentially threatened by entanglement in abandoned fishing gear, coastal development including port and harbour construction, dredging, land reclamation, residential and tourist development, and pollution (especially hydrocarbons). A lack of information (e.g. population size and trend, the location of critical habitats, and feeding ecology) hinders the development of appropriate conservation actions, but this should be used as an excuse for inaction.
History
The backcasted 1996 assessment for this species is Data Deficient which matches the listing given by Hornby (1996).
Publication
Mallon, D., Hilton-Taylor, C., Allen, D., & Harding, K. (2019). UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial. A report to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates (p. 41). IUCN Global Species Programme. https://bit.ly/2RdZCQR
