Anomalous colouration in an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) from southeastern Brazil.

Abstract

This note report the first published account of atypical colouration condiction known as pied or piebald for the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis).  The opportunistic sighting was made at close range between Cabo de São Tomé and Cabo Frio Campos Basin, southeastern Brazil, approximately 60 km offshore. It is important to publish observations about pigmentation disorders so that a proper assessment and further insights into the ecological and physiological implications of this condition in cetaceans can be evaluated in the future.