azwhales
Several days ago we found one
Atlantic spotted dolphin near the coastline of Pico Island with white spots
that caught our attention.
This is most likely one individual
that suffers from Piebaldism, one disease associated with individuals
being more white than usual, a real similar phenomenon to Albinism. As you may
know, this is a condition found on humans or animals that show really white
skin and red eyes. Cetaceans are different from human beings and that is why in this
particular, Atlantic spotted dolphin, we can see several white marks and
really dark ones as well (contrasts between dark and white marks), this is why
we think this might be Piebaldism.
that suffers from Piebaldism, one disease associated with individuals
being more white than usual, a real similar phenomenon to Albinism. As you may
know, this is a condition found on humans or animals that show really white
skin and red eyes. Cetaceans are different from human beings and that is why in this
particular, Atlantic spotted dolphin, we can see several white marks and
really dark ones as well (contrasts between dark and white marks), this is why
we think this might be Piebaldism.
Unfortunately, we cannot collect
genetic material from this dolphin, and that is also the reason we cannot
know for sure the specific condition. Other cetacean species have been
described as abnormally white for example Orcas or Humpback whales. Also, who
knows if the famous story about “Moby-Dick” written by HermanMelville is also based on an abnormally
white individual?
genetic material from this dolphin, and that is also the reason we cannot
know for sure the specific condition. Other cetacean species have been
described as abnormally white for example Orcas or Humpback whales. Also, who
knows if the famous story about “Moby-Dick” written by HermanMelville is also based on an abnormally
white individual?
In the Azores the first sighting of
an abnormal white cetacean was in 1997 by Roland Seitre, also one Atlantic
spotted dolphin, and some other sightings have been registered on the past
decade. These events lead our marine biologist Rui Santos to publish one article
with the title “Anomalously White Atlantic Spotted Dolphins (Stenella
frontalis, Cuvier, 1892) Off the Azores”. It was published
in 2016 in the “Aquatic Mammals”
journal from the (EAAM) – The European Association for Aquatic Mammals and you
can read the full article here
an abnormal white cetacean was in 1997 by Roland Seitre, also one Atlantic
spotted dolphin, and some other sightings have been registered on the past
decade. These events lead our marine biologist Rui Santos to publish one article
with the title “Anomalously White Atlantic Spotted Dolphins (Stenella
frontalis, Cuvier, 1892) Off the Azores”. It was published
in 2016 in the “Aquatic Mammals”
journal from the (EAAM) – The European Association for Aquatic Mammals and you
can read the full article here
Written by Rui Santos
azwhales
Futurismo Biologists Team
Sandrina Rodrigues
