Toninha Dolphin

Toninha Dolphin Skull Replica measures 15 inches. Toninha Dolphin Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast, 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA. Cast of an original California Academy of Sciences specimen. Known as La Plata Dolphin.

The Toninha Dolphin or La Plata Dolphin is a species of dolphin found in coastal Atlantic waters of southeastern South America.

The species has been observed in Miramar, Buenos Aires Province, Rio Negro Province, Bahia Rosas swimming in small groups. It will commonly swim alone. Exceptional groups as large as 15 have been seen.

Toninha Dolphin has the longest beak (as a proportion of body size) of any cetacean. The body is a grayish brown color, with a lighter underside. The flippers are also very large in comparison with body size and are very broad, but narrow on joining the body. The trailing edges are serrated.

The crescent-shaped blowhole lies just in front of a crease in the neck. The dorsal fin has a long base and a rounded tip.

Toninha Dolphin has homodont dentition with conical shaped teeth. The number of teeth range from 48 to 61 on each side of its upper and lower jaw.

Toninha Dolphin is very inconspicuous, it moves very smoothly and slowly and can be difficult to spot unless estuary conditions are very calm.

Toninha Dolphins are bottom feeders and gut inspections have revealed they eat at least 24 different species of fish, depending on which species are most common. La Plata river dolphin will also take octopus, squid and shrimp. They are, in turn, hunted by killer whales (orcas) and several species of sharks.

They have been documented to preduce both whistles and burst pulses with sound recordings obtained as close as 2 meters to shore. Their poor eyesight and low visibility environment have resulted in a high reliance on sonar to find their prey.

The Toninha Dolphin weighs up to 110 lb., and lives for up to 20 years. Sexual maturity is reached between two and three years.

Females have a two-year reproductive cycle. Calves are 70 to 75 cm when born after a gestation of 10–11 months. Calves are weaned at a year old. Females may be giving birth by the age of five.

Toninha Dolphin is found in the coastal Atlantic waters of southeastern South America, including the Río de la Plata estuary. Its distribution ranges from the Tropic of Capricorn near Ubatuba, Brazil, south to Península Valdés, Argentina.

It is the only member of the river dolphin group that lives in the ocean and saltwater estuaries, rather than freshwater.

Commercialized areas that create agricultural runoffs and industrialized zones can affect the health of the La Plata dolphin, especially in regards to their contributions of waste and pollution, which can lead to habitat degradation and poisoned food among other concerns.

The La Plata dolphin is listed as “Vulnerable” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, the Franciscana is a particular conservation concern because of its restricted distribution and vulnerability to incidental capture in fishing gear.