WAM 656 Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Bottlenose dolphin that stranded
on North Topsail Island, NC on
November 26, 2010.
An extremely large male bottlenose dolphin (2.91 m long) stranded on North Topsail Island on November 26, 2010. The carcass was transported to UNCW, and a necropsy was conducted the following day. Upon examination, the animal was extremely thin, and had a large number of Xenobalanus barnacles on each fin. The animal’s large size, extremely worn teeth, and apparent arthritic joints suggested that it was an old individual. Evidence of multi-systemic diseases was observed, including an ulcer on the palate, lesions on the heart, and a congested liver. Also of note was the presence of trematode parasites on the pancreas.
Donate Today