Overview

Lissodelphis peronii – (Lacépède, 1804)

ANIMALIA – CHORDATA – MAMMALIA – ARTIODACTYLA – DELPHINIDAE – Lissodelphis – peronii 

Common Names: Southern Right Whale Dolphin, Southern Right Whale Porpoise, Mealy-mouthed Porpoise (English), Suidelike Noordkaperdolfyn (Afrikaans), Dauphin Aptère Austral (French), Delfín Liso Austral, Tunina Sinaleta (Spanish; Castilian)
Synonyms: No Synonyms 

Red List Status: LC – Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) 

Assessment Information

Assessors: Probert, R¹. & da Silva, J.M.² 

Reviewer: Smith, C.³ 

Institutions: ¹Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, ²South African National Biodiversity Institute, ³Endangered Wildlife Trust 

Previous Assessor: Plön, S.,  

Previous Reviewer: Child, M.F. 

Previous Contributors: Preston-Whyte, F., Relton, C., Atkins, S., Findlay, K., Meyer, M., Oosthuizen, H. & Elwen, S. 

Assessment Rationale 

To date, there are no abundance estimates for Southern Right Whale Dolphins in the study region or anywhere within their habitat range. The very low sighting rate is probably due to a lack of sampling effort. It is suspected that the population is robust and there is no reason to believe there is any decline. The offshore distribution of this species suggests no major threats. Thus, this species is listed as Least Concern within the assessment region. However, the possible disturbing effect of seismic activity is a minor threat. This species may require re-assessment if new data emerge, but it is not currently a conservation priority.

Regional population effects: Southern Right Whale Dolphins are widely distributed across the temperate regions of the southern hemisphere, and although their movement patterns are largely undocumented, no barriers to dispersal have been recognised, thus rescue effects are possible.

Reasons for Change 

Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: No change

Red List Index 

Red List Index: No change 

Recommended citations: Probert R & da Silva JM. 2025. A conservation assessment of Lissodelphis peronii. In Patel T, Smith C, Roxburgh L, da Silva JM & Raimondo D, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa.

Regional Distribution and occurrence

Geographic Range

Southern Right Whale Dolphins have a circumpolar distribution across the southern hemisphere, restricted to regions north of the Antarctic Convergence (Rose & Payne 1991) and south of the Subtropical Convergence (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). There are, however, infrequent records of this species extending beyond these limits, for example 58–61°S (Jefferson et al. 1994) and to 12.5°S off the coast of Peru (Van Waerebeek et al. 1991). Strandings have been documented in southern Argentina (Goodall 1978), New Zealand and Australia (Baker 1981), with a live shallow water entanglement recently documented in coastal Brazil (Arrial et al. 2024).

Presumably this species follows cold-water currents, such as the Benguela and Humbodt (Watson 1985). In southern Africa, this species is known from the west coast, ranging northwards as far as about 23°S, due to the cold counterclockwise Benguela Current, occurring primarily in the region of upwelling off Lüderitz (Rose & Payne 1991). There is just one confirmed record of Southern Right Whale Dolphins off South Africa’s coast, just south of the Orange River (Rose & Payne 1991), though there are at least two skulls from the 19th century which are thought to have been collected from South African beaches (Cruickshank & Brown 1981). This species has also been documented in the waters around Marion Island (Cruickshank & Brown 1981). They are predominantly found offshore and there are no documented inshore sightings off Namibia, however rare inshore sightings from Chile (Aguayo 1975; Pinto-Torres et al. 2019) and Brazil (Arrial et al. 2024) have been recorded. Since this species tends to be localised off Lüderitz (Namibia), it is suspected that this group may infrequently extend marginally into South Africa (Rose & Payne 1991). Thus, sightings are expected to occur further south in the Benguela Current, but the lack thereof is likely to be due to a paucity of sampling effort. 

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones 

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): (Not specified) 

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): (Not specified) 

Depth Lower Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified) 

Depth Upper Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified) 

Depth Zone: (Not specified) 

Map

Figure 1. Distribution records for Southern Right Whale Dolphin (Lissodelphis peronii) within the assessment region (South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho). Note that distribution data is obtained from multiple sources and records have not all been individually verified.

Biogeographic Realms 

Biogeographic Realm: Afrotropical, Antarctic, Australasian, Neotropical, Oceanian 

Occurrence 

Countries of Occurrence 

Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) Occurrence 

Large Marine Ecosystems: (Not specified)

FAO Area Occurrence 

Climate change

Over the years, significant shifts in the Benguela Current System Large Marine Ecosystem have been documented, including changes in wind patterns, air and sea temperatures, and upwelling regimes (Hutchings et al. 2009; Moloney et al. 2013; Jarre et al. 2015). Such changes can have direct and indirect effects on Southern Right Whale Dolphins. This species typically prefers cooler water temperatures between 9 and 16°C (Gaskin 1968; Cruickshank & Brown 1981), however they are not restricted to this range (Rose & Payne 1991). Currently, the Benguela Current provides an optimal thermal range for Southern Right Whale Dolphins. However, global temperatures are increasing as a result of climate change. The Benguela Current is considered slow warming (Hampton & Willemse 2012), with an increase 0.28°C over a 25-year period spanning 1982-2006. More recent estimates predict a 0.5°C increase by 2032 and a 1°C increase by 2041, relative to the previous estimate from 1995-2014 (Varela et al. 2023). Such shifts in sea temperatures can directly impact Southern Right Whale Dolphins through displacement and movement boundaries, or indirectly through impacting prey availability. 

It is speculated that Southern Right Whale Dolphins feed on lanternfish (Lampanyctodes hectoris), krill (Nyctiphanes capensis), and small squid (Lolinguncula sp.) in Namibian waters, although no stomach contents from individuals in this region have been obtained and assessed (Cruickshank & Brown 1981). Ocean warming is known to influence krill in the Antarctic, negatively impacting its life cycle and recruitment and, thus, its abundance and distribution (Flores et al. 2012). On the other hand, Namibian squid (specifically chokka squid – Loligo reynaudii – and Angolan flying squid – Todarodes angolensis) are considered resilient to the effects of climate change, with an overall moderate to low sensitivity to environmental change (Ortega-Cisneros et al. 2018; Engelhard et al. 2024). Many Namibian fish species are highly sensitive to climate change (see Ortega-Cisneros et al. 2018); however, the diet composition of Southern Right Whale Dolphins is poorly understood. To fully understand the effects on climate change on food availability for Southern Right Whale Dolphins, stomach contents need to be evaluated to determine the extent to which they are feeding on these prey items and to determine whether they are generalist or specialist feeders within this region.  

Population

No global or regional estimates or trends are available for Southern Right Whale Dolphins, and generally, this species seems to avoid contact with oceanic vessels, and their fast-swimming behaviour renders them difficult to spot at sea (Rose & Payne 1991). This species is known from only one confirmed record off South Africa’s northwestern coast, as well as around Marion Island, and there are no population estimates for the assessment region. In general, this species is considered to have a robust population and to be fairly common within its range (Jefferson et al. 1994; Lipsky et al. 2002). Additionally, Rose and Payne (1991) suggest that they may be considerably more common in southern African waters than previously believed (Rose & Payne 1991). However, this is only likely to be the case for Namibia, as they are thought to extend only marginally into the waters off South Africa’s west coast, thus they are not considered abundant within the waters off northwestern South Africa (Branch et al. 2007). Taylor et al. (2007) estimated a generation period of 18.3 years for this species.  

Current population trend: Unknown 

Continuing decline in mature individuals: Unknown 

Number of mature individuals in population: Unknown 

Number of mature individuals in largest subpopulation: Unknown 

Number of subpopulations: Unknown 

Severely fragmented: No 

Extreme fluctuations in the number of subpopulations: (Not specified) 

Continuing decline in number of subpopulations: (Not specified) 

All individuals in one subpopulation: (Not specified) 

Quantitative Analysis 

Probability of extinction in the wild within 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified) 

Probability of extinction in the wild within 5 generations or 20 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified) 

Probability of extinction in the wild within 100 years: (Not specified) 

Population Genetics

Very little population genetic research has been conducted on the Southern right whale dolphins, and what has been done has generally been localised to South America (e.g., Carroll et al. 2020, Frainer 2024). The occurrence of hybrids with the dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) along Argentinian waters (Yadzi, 2002). While very little is known about this species in the assessment region, knowledge that they are widely distributed across the temperate regions of the southern hemisphere and there appears to be no barriers to dispersal, it is possible the species (at least around the region) exists as a single population. Based on this assumption, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework’s (GBF’s) complementary genetic indicator – proportion of populations maintained (PM) – would receive a value of 1.0 (all populations remaining). 

While the species has a wide distribution and has been thought to be fairly common within its range, the general lack of population size data, makes it difficult to estimate the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework’s (GBF’s) headline genetic indicator – proportion of populations with an Ne > 500.    

Habitats and ecology

Gaskin (1968) suggested that this species typically prefers cooler temperate waters between the Subtropical and Antarctic Convergences, at water temperatures of 9–16°C, thus the lack of sightings in the warmer regions off the southern Indian Ocean is not unexpected (Rose & Payne 1991). However, all of Cruickshank and Brown’s (1981) sightings were recorded in waters more than 15.7°C, though subsurface temperatures are likely to have been substantially lower. Thus, it is expected that although this species may be more common in cooler waters (9–16°C), they are certainly not restricted to this temperature range (Rose & Payne 1991). Although generally preferring deep waters, this species does occur in nearshore regions with steep coastal gradients.

Although the feeding ecology of the Southern Right Whale Dolphin is poorly documented, they are believed to feed nocturnally (Torres & Aguayo 1979), predominantly on squid and fish (Jefferson et al. 1994). Lanternfish (mostly Hygophum hanseni) and squid (primarily Gonatus antarcticus) remains were found in the stomach of an individual captured off Chile (Torres & Aguayo 1979). Additionally, the stomach of two individuals stranded in New Zealand contained the fish species Macruronus novaezelandiae and the squid Nototodarus sloanii (Baker 1981). Although stomach contents have not been analysed for individuals inhabiting the Benguela Current, their diet, consisting of small squid, krill, and lanternfish, has been inferred from net samples and acoustic recordings during Southern Right Whale Dolphin encounters (Cruickshank & Brown 1981). This corresponds to the diet of this species in other regions. Rose and Payne (1991) conclude that Southern Right Whale Dolphins are highly gregarious and specialised feeders that, due to their high levels of activity, may be reliant on strong upwelling regions of high productivity in order to meet their energetic demands.

This species has been documented in groups ranging from 4 to 1,000 individuals (Gaskin 1968). Groups of L. peronii have been observed traveling at rapid speeds (estimated at about 20 knots, Rose & Payne 1991) usually just below the surface, surfacing only briefly (Cruickshank  & Brown 1981). Southern Right Whale Dolphins occasionally associate with other cetacean species, such as Dusky Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus), Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and pilot whales (presumably Long-finned Pilot Whales, Globicephala melas, due to their west coast distribution) (Cruickshank & Brown 1981). Very little information is known about the reproductive ecology of these species, though they have been recorded as sexually mature at length of 2.18 m and 2.51 m for females and males, respectively (Van Waerebeek et al. 1991).

Ecosystem and cultural services: Marine mammals integrate and reflect ecological variation across large spatial and long temporal scales, and therefore they are prime sentinels of marine ecosystem change; polar cetaceans are useful for assessing the effects of rapid changes in sea ice conditions on food webs in these strongly seasonal ecosystems (Moore 2008).  

IUCN Habitats Classification Scheme 

Life History 

Generation Length: (Not specified) 

Age at Maturity: Female or unspecified: (Not specified) 

Age at Maturity: Male: (Not specified) 

Size at Maturity (in cms): Female: 2.81 

Size at Maturity (in cms): Male: 2.51 

Longevity: (Not specified) 

Average Reproductive Age: (Not specified) 

Maximum Size (in cms): (Not specified) 

Size at Birth (in cms): (Not specified) 

Gestation Time: (Not specified) 

Reproductive Periodicity: (Not specified) 

Average Annual Fecundity or Litter Size: (Not specified) 

Natural Mortality: (Not specified) 

Breeding Strategy 

Does the species lay eggs?  No 

Does the species give birth to live young:  Yes 

Does the species exhibit parthenogenesis:  No 

Does the species have a free-living larval stage?  No 

Does the species require water for breeding?  Yes 

Movement Patterns 

Movement Patterns: (Not specified) 

Congregatory: (Not specified)

Systems 

System: Marine 

General Use and Trade Information

There is no trade or use of this species in the assessment region. 

National Commercial Value: Yes 

International Commercial Value: No 

Is there harvest from captive/cultivated sources of this species? (Not specified) 

Harvest Trend Comments: (Not specified) 

Threats

Seismic activity, for oil and gas, might be a minor threat, due to possible disturbance of Southern Right Whale Dolphins. They have been directly taken in gillnets elsewhere in the world but there is no evidence that it occurs in South African waters. Considering the squid-based diet of the Southern Right Whale Dolphin and its distribution in pelagic waters off the west coast of southern Africa, there may be some threat of competition for forage resources with pelagic trawl fisheries.

The impact of global climate change, and the associated effects of increased water temperature and CO₂ concentration, on Southern Right Whale Dolphins is largely unknown, however, is likely to have cascading effects on the movements and feeding ecology of these species (Learmonth et al. 2006). 

A live shallow water entanglement of a single Southern Right Whale Dolphin was documented in Brazil (Arrial et al. 2024), which was successfully released. Although this is the only entanglement documented to date, both in-use and discarded fishing gear is a threat, albeit likely a minor threat, to this species.  

Conservation

Southern Right Whale Dolphins are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and are protected by the Marine Living Resources Act (No. 18 of 1998) of the national legislation. Although no specific conservation measures have been identified for this species, it would benefit from continued research into their population dynamics and distribution patterns. Additionally, the impacts of direct threats, such as noise pollution and bycatch in pelagic fisheries, as well as the indirect effects of climate change and competition on food resources should be investigated. 

Recommendations for managers and practitioners: 

• Sightings, strandings and bycatch data should be recorded, especially during ship-based surveys aimed at other cetacean species, as well as commercial fisheries and marine tour operators. 

Research priorities: 

• Data pertaining to the species’ distribution patterns and the severity of potential threats that could affect the listing of this species. 
• Estimates of population size and trends, as well as the distribution of this species within the assessment region, are urgently needed. 

Encouraged citizen actions: 

• Use information dispensed by the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) to make good choices when buying fish in shops and restaurants, e.g. wwfsa.mobi, FishMS 0794998795. 
• Save electricity and fuel to mitigate CO₂ emissions and hence, the rate of climate change. 
• Buy local products that have not been shipped. 
• Report sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iNaturalist and MammalMAP) to help with mapping geographical distribution. 
• Avoid using plastic bags.  

Bibliography

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Arrial, L. G. R., Correa, T. D. P., de Castilho, P. V., & Machado, R. (2024). New record of the southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii (Lacépède, 1804), in the coastal waters of Brazil. Polar Biology 47(11): 1169-1173. 

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