Stenella coeruleoalba
Reproduction
Our knowledge about reproduction and mating in this dolphin
species has been, and is continually, increasing. Recently
there have been more dolphin births in captivity and more information
attained about their reproductive methods. Depending on location,
dolphins have different mating seasons. In the north western Pacific the
mating season spans from winter to the early summer, however in regions
near the Mediterranean the season begins in fall (Animal Diversity Web).
The female striped dolphin reaches her peak reproductive maturity from
the ages of five and thirteen; on the other hand the male striped dolphin
reaches his peak between the ages of seven and fifteen (Animal Diversity
Web).
The gestation period of the Striped Dolphin can last anywhere from twelve to thirteen months, at the longest (Andersen, 288, 1969). Their breeding interval is around 4 years due to their calving interval, during which the female dolphin will care for her child, and will usually result in one offspring (Archer et al, 1999). Lactation can last for periods longer than six months (Caldwell, 1977). The Striped Dolphin’s life span is estimated to be 57.5 years in the wild (Archer et al. 1999). The oldest recorded pregnant Striped Dolphin was 48.5 years old, allowing the striped dolphin to have several chances to reproduce during its lifetime (Archer et al. 1999). Female striped dolphins will ovulate between .12/year to 3/year (Kasuya. 1976, Miyazaki. 1977). When born the Striped Dolphin will measure around 99.8-100cm (Kasuya, 1972).
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