Tomić, M.: Morphometric differences of the right flippers as indicator of the maneuvering ability in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Adriatic Sea. Diploma Thesis. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Zagreb, 2010

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the differences of maneuvering abilities at the base of different morphometric characteristics of the flippers in two dolphin species which live in different environments. The right pectoral flippers of 24 cetacean specimens representing two Odontoceti genera were obtained, 12 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and 12 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). External flipper measurements and total body length were taken. We constructed two statistical indexes for testing of relations of morphometric measures of flipper and body length between two investigated species of dolphin. Those indexes we named as index of flipper measures (IFM) and index of flipper measures across total body length (IFBL). Comparison of both indexes of in bottlenose and striped dolphins proved the differences in ratio of flipper dimensions to the total body lenght. It showed that bottlenose dolphin has wider and larger flipper than striped dolphin. That results suggest more intensive use of flippers in body movements of bottlenose dolphin as compared to those of the striped dolphins.