Color:
dark back, bluish-grey sides, off-white underside,
three stipes behind each eye (two to the flippers,
one running across body to after) bluish-grey stripe
from sides towards dorsal fin
The striped
dolphin has slender body and a long, dark beak. The
head is narrow. The forehead and melon is smoothly sloping
and there is a distinct crease separating the forehead
from the beak. The dorsal fin is falcate. The flippers
are small and slender with pointed tips.
The striped dolphin is boldly patterned in bluish grey
and white, although under certain light conditions,
it may appear brown and white. Some individuals may
have pink undersides. A lateral stripe and spinal blaze
are characteristic, and distinguish the striped dolphin
from other white-bellied oceanic dolphins, but these
markings vary significantly between individuals and
probably geographically. There are one or two dark bands
between the flipper and the eye, and a dark streak behind
the eye. There is often a black patch around the eye.
There may be a pale grey finger-shaped marking below
the dorsal fin. The sides are pale grey. Tail flukes
are small and pale grey.
The mouth contains many small teeth - 39 to 53 in
the upper and 39 to 55 in the lower rows.
