An anatomical and pathological examination of the first recorded stranding of a Fraser's dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Reports on Fraser's dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) strandings in the Gulf of Mexico are uncommon. The only recorded strandings from the Gulf of Mexico, both of which occurred in Florida, consist of one mass stranding and a single stranding. This report represents the first record of a Fraser's dolphin stranding, dead or alive, in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Results presented here provide the first available data on blood hematology and chemistry values, detailed anatomy of internal organs and structures, thoracic and abdominal organ weights, blubber thickness, external morphometrics, and pathological findings for this species in the western Gulf of Mexico.