First records of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) for the Puerto Rican Bank, with a review of the species in the Caribbean

Abstract

Pantropical spotted dolphins are the most abundant cetaceans in the northern Gulf of Mexico, with a population estimate of 91,321, but are less common in the eastern U.S. Atlantic, where estimates are 12,747. No current population estimate exists for the Caribbean, though Atlantic spotted dolphins likely outnumber pantropical spotted dolphins based on sighting records. Future studies and surveys in the Caribbean should pay attention to pantropical spotted dolphin sightings and strandings to further document the presence of this tropical species in the Caribbean, its zoogeography, and life history.