Subspecies in India
This species was once considered as subspecies of Sousa chinensis. After enough evidence from molecular and morphological studies it is now treated as separate species. S. plumbea is sometimes errenously referred to Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, however, this name is now restricted to only S. chinensis.
This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).
Photo Gallery and Species Biology
Sousa plumbea - Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin
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This species has wide distribution from Southern Africa to western part of Indian subcontinent. It prefers all coastal areas and habitats with lesser than 20m water depth. It is a social, group-living species with variable group sizes that depend on season and habitat.
Conservation Status:This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).
According to IUCN Red List assessment, population of this species is decreasing all over its range. Although there are no accurate estimates of its population, it is roughly estimated to be between 150 and 500 individuals. Threat to its survival comes from habitat loss, water and noise pollution and trapping in fishing nets.
| State | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | No date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | |||||||||||||
| Andhra Pradesh | |||||||||||||
| Arunachal Pradesh | |||||||||||||
| Assam | |||||||||||||
| Bihar | |||||||||||||
| Chandigarh | |||||||||||||
| Chhattisgarh | |||||||||||||
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | |||||||||||||
| Daman & Diu | |||||||||||||
| Delhi | |||||||||||||
| Goa | |||||||||||||
| Gujarat | |||||||||||||
| Haryana | |||||||||||||
| Himachal Pradesh | |||||||||||||
| Jammu and Kashmir | |||||||||||||
| Jharkhand | |||||||||||||
| Karnataka | |||||||||||||
| Kerala | |||||||||||||
| Lakshadweep | |||||||||||||
| Madhya Pradesh | |||||||||||||
| Maharashtra | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Manipur | |||||||||||||
| Meghalaya | |||||||||||||
| Mizoram | |||||||||||||
| Nagaland | |||||||||||||
| Odisha | |||||||||||||
| Paschimbanga | |||||||||||||
| Pondicherry | |||||||||||||
| Punjab | |||||||||||||
| Rajasthan | |||||||||||||
| Sikkim | |||||||||||||
| Tamil Nadu | |||||||||||||
| Tripura | |||||||||||||
| Uttar Pradesh | |||||||||||||
| Uttarakhand | |||||||||||||
| West Bengal | |||||||||||||
| Total | 1 | 1 |
Page citation
Anonymous 2024. Sousa plumbea Gray, 1866 – Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin. In Bayani, A., R. Chakravarty, and K. Kunte (Editors) (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 1.13. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.mammalsofindia.org/sousa-plumbea, accessed 2024/05/13.