Pacific White-sided Dolphin Skull Replica

Description

Pacific white-sided dolphin skull replica measures 15.3 x 7.5 x 6.5 inches. The Lagenorhynchus obliquidens skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA

The Pacific white-sided dolphin lives along the coasts of the North Pacific and its adjoining waters. This animal features three distinct colors. Its chin, throat, and belly are a creamy white color. The bear, flippers back, and dorsal fin are dark gray, and a dark gray ring surrounds the eyes. Light gray patches cover its sides, and a light gray stripe runs from above the eye to the tail stock.

This species is extremely active in the ocean. It mixes often with many other North Pacific cetacean species. The animal readily approaches boats and rides the waves. Large groups are common and average 90 individuals, but super groups can hold more than 300 dolphins. These animals have an average of 60 teeth.

Thie range arcs across the cool to temperate waters of the North Pacific. Sightings go not further south than the south China Sea on the western side. On the eastern side, they stop at the Baja California Peninsula. Populations also live in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. In the northern part of their range, some individuals live in the Bering Sea.

The dolphins follow a clear migratory pattern. One the eastern side, they are most abundant in the Southern California Bright in winter. They move further north to Oregon and Washington in the summer. Their preference for offshore deep waters lasts all year round. The killer whale is the only known predator of this dolphin.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Infraorder: Cetacea
• Family: Delphinidae
• Genus: Lagenorhynchus
• Species: L. obliquidens
• Binomial name: Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Gill, 1865)
• Conservation status: Least concern (IUCN 3.1)

Pair the Pacific white-sided dolphin skull with the northern right whale skull replica to contrast finned and finless ocean species. The bottlenose dolphin skull replica works well to compare a stouter snout with a more delicate beak structure. The short-beaked dolphin skull replica highlights different feeding adaptations amount animals that share the exact same North Pacific waters.