Even in its native Chile, the Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) is known to only a few people.
With a body length of 1.6 m and a weight of around 60 kg, it is one of the smallest species of dolphin. Its back and sides are colored in various shades of gray. Its belly is white and its beak is barely noticeable. Its flippers and fin are rounded.
Its range extends from Cape Horn to Valparaiso, and it prefers to stay in shallow coastal waters and bays, showing a tendency to remain in the same location.
Chilean dolphins are quite shy and inconspicuous. The animals live in small but unstable groups of usually 2 to 5 individuals. Several groups often come together to hunt fish.
Virtually nothing is known about their migratory behavior, social structure, diet, and reproduction.
dangers
The Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) lives along the open coast and in the Chiloé Archipelago, where they occur near dense human settlements and fishing activities, putting their populations at risk.
Bycatch in fixed nets, direct fishing for crab bait, intensification of aquaculture, pollution, and habitat destruction pose the greatest threats.
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