Stenella attenuata (Gray, 1846) . Zool. Voy. H.M.S. "Erebus” and "Terror,” 1:44.

TYPE LOCALITY: Unknown .

DISTRIBUTION: Tropical waters of Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans.

COMMENT: Includes frontalis, graffmani, and dubia; see Rice, 1977:8. Includes malayana; see Perrin, 1975, Bull. Scripps Inst. Oceanogr. Univ. Calif., 21: 1 -206, but also see Rice, 1977:13. The taxonomy of the spotted dolphins (frontalis, dubia, attenuata, and plagiodon) remains to be resolved (WFP). The presently recognized nominal forms (frontalis, attenuata, and plagiodon) will probably prove to be two species of spotted dolphins; frontalis is probably conspecific with either attenuata (JGM), or plagiodon (WFP); dubia (including asthenops and crotaphyscus), used by Hershkovitz, 1966:31, may belong to either of the two probable species (WFP and RLB; DWR; JGM). Hershkovitz, 1966:31, argued that dubia is a prior name for attenuata . See Hall, 1981:882-883, for additional discussion.

PROTECTED STATUS: CITES - Appendix II as Order Cetacea .

ISIS NUMBER: 5301411002013002001 as S. dubia .