First record of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus, in Korean waters

Abstract

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) commonly inhabit Korean waters, including the coastal waters of Jeju Island. However, their taxonomic position was unclear because of the validity of this genus. The genus Tursiops has recently been determined to comprise two species: the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). To confirm the taxonomic position of bottlenose dolphins frequenting the coastal waters of Jeju Island, the external morphology and osteology of specimens from Jeju Island were examined. Photographs of free-swimming individuals were also used for determining external morphological characters. The cranial and meristic measurements fell within the ranges of T. aduncus. Osteological ratios were also consistent with those of T. aduncus. The presence of a prominent ventral spot was observed among some individuals. As a result, the dolphins mainly distributed in the coastal waters of Jeju Island were identified as Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus) in terms of their cranial characters and ventral spotting. We propose a new Korean name, ‘Nam-bang-keun-dol-go-rae’.