Cetaceans in Algerian Waters
Considered enemy number one by sardine fishermen. They are called "لهوايش". I remember them attacking the net to get to the sardines...believe me when I say they destroy the net if we get unlucky and come upon a large group of them. Once, because of the damaged net, we had to go back to the Port just after our first cast and call it a day...they are the dolphins!
Dolphins are cetaceans, and this group of mammals are a poorly understood segment of marine biodiversity in Algeria, with limited research due to a lack of systematists and the challenges of observation and sampling.
The cetacean population in Algerian waters includes both Odontocetes (toothed whales) and Mysticetes (baleen whales).Delphinids (dolphins) represent a significant portion of the cetacean population in Algerian waters.
The following cetacean species have been identified in Algerian waters, primarily through sea observations, followed by strandings and captures:
Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis): This species is the most frequently observed along the Algerian coasts. It is present throughout the year in the Algerian basin. It is the most common species in terms of strandings.
Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba): This species is also frequently found along the Algerian coast, often in mixed groups with D. delphis. It is the second most frequent species to strand.
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): This species is regularly observed in vivo along the Algerian coasts. It is the second most frequently observed species. It is known to be a coastal species.
Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas): This species is relatively less frequent.
Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus): This species is relatively less frequent.
Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris): This species is rare in Algerian waters.
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus): This species is also rare in Algerian waters.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus): This species is rare in Algerian waters.
The sources also mention an old record of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), though this species was not observed in recent surveys.
References: - Boutiba, Z. (1994). Bilan de nos connaissances sur la présence des cétacés le long des côtes algériennes [Assessment of our knowledge on the presence of cetaceans along the Algerian coasts]. Mammalia, 58(4), 613–622. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1994.58.4.613
- Henda-Benrekaa, A., & Moulaï, R. (2021). First data on cetacean strandings and in situ observations along the algerian coast. Acta Zoologica Lituanica, 31(1), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2021.1.7
Considered enemy number one by sardine fishermen. They are called "لهوايش". I remember them attacking the net to get to the sardines...believe me when I say they destroy the net if we get unlucky and come upon a large group of them. Once, because of the damaged net, we had to go back to the Port just after our first cast and call it a day...they are the dolphins!
Dolphins are cetaceans, and this group of mammals are a poorly understood segment of marine biodiversity in Algeria, with limited research due to a lack of systematists and the challenges of observation and sampling.
The cetacean population in Algerian waters includes both Odontocetes (toothed whales) and Mysticetes (baleen whales).Delphinids (dolphins) represent a significant portion of the cetacean population in Algerian waters.
The following cetacean species have been identified in Algerian waters, primarily through sea observations, followed by strandings and captures:
Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis): This species is the most frequently observed along the Algerian coasts. It is present throughout the year in the Algerian basin. It is the most common species in terms of strandings.
Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba): This species is also frequently found along the Algerian coast, often in mixed groups with D. delphis. It is the second most frequent species to strand.
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): This species is regularly observed in vivo along the Algerian coasts. It is the second most frequently observed species. It is known to be a coastal species.
Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas): This species is relatively less frequent.
Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus): This species is relatively less frequent.
Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris): This species is rare in Algerian waters.
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus): This species is also rare in Algerian waters.
Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus): This species is rare in Algerian waters.
The sources also mention an old record of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), though this species was not observed in recent surveys.
References: - Boutiba, Z. (1994). Bilan de nos connaissances sur la présence des cétacés le long des côtes algériennes [Assessment of our knowledge on the presence of cetaceans along the Algerian coasts]. Mammalia, 58(4), 613–622. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1994.58.4.613
- Henda-Benrekaa, A., & Moulaï, R. (2021). First data on cetacean strandings and in situ observations along the algerian coast. Acta Zoologica Lituanica, 31(1), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2021.1.7