Augustine, Fla. in the tank at Marineland of
Florida. Note the tall falcate dorsal fin, pointed on the tip and
varying slightly in shape between the two individuals, and the spots on
the body. (_Photo by S. Leatherwood._)]

[Illustration: Figure 117.--A series showing the development of the
color pattern of the Atlantic spotted dolphins from Florida. Newborn or
young animals are dark purplish gray on the back, grading to immaculate
white on the belly. As they mature, animals develop light spots, first
on the lower sides, then higher on the back, and dark spots on the
belly. As spotting increases, the cape becomes less distinct. (_Photos
by A. Solis (a), D. K. Caldwell (b, c), and courtesy of Marineland of
Florida (d, e, f)._)]

[Illustration: Figure 118--Juvenile Atlantic spotted dolphins at sea in
the southeastern Caribbean. Although spotters can be either relatively
short-snouted and chunky or long-snouted and slightly built, the spinal
blaze, flipper-to-eye stripe, white lips, and falcate dorsal fin can be
used to identify them. (_Photo by D. Poppe._)]

[Illustration: Figure 119.--A captive Atlantic spotted dolphin from off
St. Augustine, Fla. This species has from 30 to 36 teeth in each upper
jaw and from 28 to 35 in each lower jaw, fewer than all other Stenella
except perhaps the bridled dolphin, fewer than the saddleback dolphins,
but more than the Atlantic bottlenosed dolphins. (_Photo by S.
Leatherwood._)]

BRIDLED DOLPHIN (T)

_Stenella frontalis_ (G. Cuvier 1829)

Other Common Names

Bridled spotted dolphin, Cuvier's dolphin, gamin (St. Vincent), bridled
porpoise.

Description

Bridled dolphins, the second species of spotted dolphins in the western
North Atlantic, reach an adult length of at least 7 feet (2.1 m). Like
the other, the Atlantic spotted dolphin (p. 104), bridled dolphins are
characterized by light grayish-white spots on the dark dorsal portions
of the body and dark spots on the light ventral surface. Other details
of the coloration differ somewhat. Bridled dolphins are dark gray on the
back, fading to lighter gray on the sides and belly. They lack the
spinal blaze characteristic of Atlantic spotted dolphins. Except on the
head, the border between the back and side colors is indistinct. On the
head, the cape (the dark color of the top of the head) is distinct. In
the light gray of the side of the head are the markings from which the
species derives its common name, "bridled do