Length-Weight relationships and consumption rates of the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the Mediterranean Sea

Stranding records regarding the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) were collected from the Italian Stranding Network database (CIBRA), online open sources databases and scientific literature in a period ranging from 1983 to 2021. Recordings were classified into Mediterranean geographic areas according to the International Hydrographic Organization. A total of 1500 stranded individuals of striped dolphin were considered in the analysis. The striped dolphin showed the highest median length of 188 cm (IR=38.5, n=95) in the Adriatic Sea. The highest value of median weight was recorded in the Western Mediterranean Sea, with a value of 70 kg. Considering the consumption rates, average IB values were 2.3 kg/day (±0.8) in the Tyrrhenian Sea, 2.2 kg/day (±0.8) in the Ionian Sea, 2.1 kg/day (±0.8) in the Western Mediterranean Sea and 2.8 kg/day (±0.9) considering all Mediterranean basin. These results represent a baseline for further studies aimed at understanding the population structure, mortality patterns and the effects of anthropogenic pressures on the survival of this species locally and in the Mediterranean Sea.