Records of atypical pigmented bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at the south-western coast of the Black Sea (Zonguldak, Türkiye)

Abstract

: Abnormal coloration shaped as small patches on a body or fins/tail flukes of cetaceans is relatively rare, although such cases have been recorded in multiple species. Several reports of anomalously colored dolphins and porpoises have been documented in the coastal waters of the Black Sea, with uneven distribution across the basin. Recently, during photoidentification (photo-ID) surveys conducted between 2022 and 2023, atypically pigmented bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) individuals with white patches on their dorsal fins and bodies were spotted in Turkish territorial waters near Zonguldak Province. The analysis of photographs from these sightings offers a simple approach to detect and characterize different types of skin coloration of cetaceans inhabiting the south-western waters of the Black Sea.