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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Dolphins

Rough-toothed dolphin

Steno bredanensis

Cone-headed deep-water dolphins with ridged teeth, often in small tight groups. Keep boats calm and never chase.

Least ConcernIn 36 Atlas countries

Least Concern (IUCN, 2018) means it is not at high risk of extinction worldwide today.

Two rough-toothed dolphins leaping together, blotchy grey skin visible
Photo: Fábio Olmos, iNaturalist, CC BY
Rough-toothed dolphin surfacing with long sloping forehead
Photo: Daniel Benák, iNaturalist, CC BY
Rough-toothed dolphin bursting through a wave in blue water
Photo: 尹若宇, iNaturalist, CC BY-SA
Group of rough-toothed dolphins swimming side by side
Photo: Daniel Benák, iNaturalist, CC BY
Pod of rough-toothed dolphins surfacing with tall dorsal fins
Photo: Fábio Olmos, iNaturalist, CC BY
Rough-toothed dolphins travelling in a line at the surface
Photo: ecovore, iNaturalist, CC BY
Rough-toothed dolphin surfacing, conical head and dorsal fin visible
Photo: Cricket Raspet, iNaturalist, CC BY
Rough-toothed dolphin lifting its pale belly above the surface
Photo: Fábio Olmos, iNaturalist, CC BY

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Up to about 2.6 to 2.8 m (8.5 to 9.2 ft); sources differ on the maximum

Weight

About 150 to 160 kg (330 to 350 lb) for large adults

Next to a person

About 1.3-1.5 times an adult's height when fully grown

What it eats

Squid and many kinds of fish, including large fish such as mahimahi.

Around people

Calm, give space

How it lives

Rough-toothed dolphins live in deep tropical water. They often travel in close groups of about 10-20 and hunt squid and fish. They sometimes mix with pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins and spinner dolphins. Their name comes from tiny ridges on their teeth.

Populations

Found widely in deep tropical and warm-temperate seas. In the Mediterranean, a small separate subpopulation is listed as Near Threatened, while the species as a whole is Least Concern. Timor-Leste has confirmed older survey records, but there is no reliable figure for how often they are seen there.

Meet it respectfully

Watch slowly from a boat moving alongside the group, and never chase, surround or feed them. If they come to the boat, put the engine in neutral and let them pass. In US waters, NOAA guidance suggests at least 45 m (50 yards) and no more than 30 minutes; other countries have their own rules.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where you may meet it

Rough-toothed dolphin in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaCanadaUnited States of AmericaKazakhstanUzbekistanIndonesiaArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.RussiaBahamasNorwayGreenlandSouth AfricaLesothoMexicoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaBelizeVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandSri LankaChinaItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandAzerbaijanGeorgiaMalaysiaSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanAnjouan, ComorosGrande Comore, ComorosMohéli, ComorosDrake and Caño, Costa RicaQuepos and Golfo Dulce, Costa RicaCyprus, CyprusMoʻorea, French PolynesiaRurutu, French PolynesiaCoron, Palawan, PhilippinesMoalboal, Cebu, PhilippinesPanglao and Balicasag, Bohol, PhilippinesSiquijor, PhilippinesApo Island and Dauin, PhilippinesApo Reef, PhilippinesBoracay, PhilippinesEl Nido and Bacuit Bay, PhilippinesPort Barton and San Vicente, PhilippinesTubbataha Reefs, PhilippinesTrincomalee and Nilaveli, Sri LankaVava'u and Ha'apai, TongaWestpunt, CuraçaoWillemstad and the central coast, CuraçaoCuraçao Marine Park (southeast coast), CuraçaoKlein Curaçao, CuraçaoCorn Islands, NicaraguaSan Juan del Sur and La Flor, NicaraguaChacocente, NicaraguaSwatch of No Ground, BangladeshSundarbans, BangladeshCox's Bazar and Sonadia, BangladeshSaint Martin's Island, BangladeshKish Island, IranHengam Island and Dolphins' Bay, IranQeshm Island and the Hara mangroves, IranDayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, IranDili and the Ombai-Wetar strait, Timor-LesteAtauro Island, Timor-LesteFlorida Keys (Key Largo), United StatesLa Jolla and the Channel Islands, United StatesMaui, United StatesOʻahu, United StatesSan Diego and La Jolla, United StatesJuneau and Southeast Alaska, United StatesGlacier Bay, United StatesSeward and Kenai Fjords, United StatesFaial and Horta, PortugalMadeira, PortugalPico (Madalena and Lajes), PortugalPrincess Alice Bank, PortugalLa Ventana, MexicoGuadalupe Island, MexicoFernando de Noronha, BrazilAbrolhos, BrazilPraia do Forte, BrazilSanta Catarina whale coast, BrazilBonito, BrazilBouillante and the Cousteau Reserve, GuadeloupeOkinawa, JapanCabo de Palos and Cartagena, SpainEl Hierro and La Restinga, SpainFormentera, SpainFuerteventura, SpainGran Canaria, SpainIbiza, SpainJávea (Xàbia), SpainL'Estartit and the Medes Islands, SpainLa Herradura and Costa Tropical, SpainLa Palma, SpainLanzarote, SpainMallorca, SpainMenorca, SpainMálaga and the Costa del Sol, SpainTabarca and Alicante, SpainTarifa and the Strait of Gibraltar, SpainTenerife, SpainJardines de la Reina, CubaMaria la Gorda and Guanahacabibes, CubaJames Bay and the island marine park, Saint HelenaInner Hebrides (Coll, Tiree and Mull), United KingdomMoray Firth and Chanonry Point, United KingdomOrkney and Scapa Flow, United KingdomFarne Islands, United KingdomLundy, United KingdomBimini, The BahamasAndros, The BahamasExuma Cays, The BahamasEleuthera, The BahamasMalpelo, ColombiaGorgona, ColombiaNuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría, ColombiaProvidencia and Santa Catalina, ColombiaSan Andrés, ColombiaAwala Yalimapo and the Amana reserve, French GuianaAjaccio and the Gulf of Ajaccio, FranceBonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and the Lavezzi Islands, FranceMarseille, the Calanques and Cassis, FrancePort-Cros, Porquerolles and Hyères, FranceVillefranche-sur-Mer and Nice, FranceSaipan, Northern Mariana IslandsBanc d'Arguin National Park, MauritaniaNouadhibou and Cap Blanc, MauritaniaSal, Cabo VerdeBoa Vista, Cabo VerdeSanta Catalina and Coiba, PanamaGulf of Chiriquí, PanamaPearl Islands, PanamaIsla Iguana and Isla Cañas, PanamaBocas del Toro and Bastimentos, PanamaGuna Yala, PanamaAmatique Bay and Livingston, GuatemalaIztapa, GuatemalaGalibi, SurinameBraamspunt, SurinameFagatele Bay and the sanctuary, American SamoaOfu and the National Park, American SamoaGalápagos, EcuadorAmed, Bali, IndonesiaGili Trawangan, IndonesiaKomodo, IndonesiaGili Air, IndonesiaMaratua and Derawan, IndonesiaRaja Ampat, IndonesiaNusa Penida, IndonesiaLovina, Bali, IndonesiaLe Carbet and the Caribbean coast, Martinique

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American SamoaThe BahamasBangladeshBrazilCabo VerdeColombiaComorosCosta RicaCubaCuraçaoCyprusEcuadorFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGuadeloupeGuatemalaIndonesiaIranJapanMartiniqueMauritaniaMexicoNicaraguaNorthern Mariana IslandsPanamaPhilippinesPortugalSaint HelenaSpainSri LankaSurinameTimor-LesteTongaUnited KingdomUnited States
Sources for this page

Facts checked 26 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

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