Black and white dolphins look like pandas

The black and white markings of Commerson's dolphins may be a form of camouflage that enhances their ability to hunt prey.

Nature has its own way of creating interesting combinations, like the Commerson's dolphin . Unlike the usual dolphin colors, this animal has a black and white panda-like pattern and a strange habit of swimming on its back .

Commerson's dolphin has a black and white pattern similar to a panda. (Photo: iNaturalist).

Commerson's dolphin, also known as the panda dolphin , consists of two subspecies: Cephalorhynchus commersonii, which lives in South America, and Cephalorhynchus commersonii kerguelenensis, which lives in the waters near the Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean. This means they are about 8,500km apart, but scientists are still unclear about what caused this separation.

The Kerguelen Islands dolphins are larger, reaching about 1.8m in length and weighing 86kg, while their South American relatives weigh just 45kg. Both subspecies have black and white markings, giving them nicknames such as panda dolphin, skunk dolphin and constrictor dolphin.

There are many other tabby animals in the world, characterized by irregular color patterns, usually black and white. The genetic cause behind this pattern is closely related to the phenomenon of leucism . Leucistic animals experience a loss of all pigment, rather than just melanin like albinos. In tabby animals, only certain parts of the body are depigmented.

Experts believe that the black and white pattern may enhance the hunting ability of Commerson's dolphins as a form of camouflage, obscuring their appearance. But the black and white "costume" is not the only thing that makes them special. To easily detect and observe prey, they have also learned to swim skillfully on their backs.

This may come as a surprise to those familiar with the hunting tactics of killer whales. These clever hunters will flip large prey onto their backs to induce temporary immobility, for example, which puts sharks into a sleep-like state. But Commerson's dolphins have no such problem. They swim around with their bellies facing up.

Commerson's dolphins feed on a wide variety of prey, including schooling fish, squid, sea worms, shrimp, and occasionally seaweed. They are not picky eaters and take advantage of seasonally available prey in their habitat.

"Commerson's dolphins show typical dolphin curiosity towards humans and readily approach boats to ride the waves at the bow and stern. They are lively and energetic, frequently performing figure-eight swimming patterns under boats, spinning underwater and jumping out of the water. Commerson's dolphins also appear to enjoy surfing close to shore ," said the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in the UK.

Commerson's dolphin swims around a boat in Argentina. (Video: Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)).