WEIGHTS 



The body weights of 11 males (188-208 cm) 

 ranged from 51 to 75 kg, with a mean of 63.8 kg, 

 while the body weights of 13 females (177-204 cm) 

 ranged from 46.1 to 65.2 kg, with a mean of 55.7 

 kg. Thus, while the sample of males averaged 

 about 3% longer than the sample of females, they 

 averaged about 14% heavier. The range of indi- 

 vidual organ weights and the mean percentages of 

 total body weight are as follows, with the compa- 

 rable data for Pacific spinner dolphins given by 

 Perrin and Roberts (1972) in parentheses; heart 

 260-440 g, 0.59% (191-272 g, 0.46%); liver 980- 

 2,200 g, 2.7% (832-997 g, 1.90%); kidneys 350-620 

 g, 0.78% (289-393 g, 0.65%); brain 500-780 g, 

 1.02%. The organ weights in the Florida sample, 

 expressed as mean percentage of body weight, av- 

 eraged about 25% greater than those given for the 

 Pacific spinner dolphins. It is possible that some of 

 this difference is due to weight loss (primarily 

 blubber and muscle) in the Florida sample induced 

 by the stress of whatever factors led to their 

 stranding. As noted earlier, the stomachs of all of 

 the Florida specimens were empty, and it is likely 

 that they had not fed for some time. Perrin and 

 Roberts (1972) noted that in both their samples of 

 spotted and spinner dolphins, the right kidneys 

 tended to be larger than the left whereas in our 

 sample the kidneys were essentially equal (left 

 was heavier in nine, right was heavier in five, and 

 both were equal in eight). 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The authors particularly wish to acknowledge 

 the help of Perry Gilbert and the staff of the Mote 

 Marine Laboratory, who provided facilities and 

 assistance in the necropsy. We also wish to thank 

 Edward Asper and the staff of Sea World, Inc., 

 Orlando, for data on the two live animals which 

 were transported to their facilities. Vladimir 

 Gurevich of the Hubbs-Sea World Research Insti- 

 tute, San Diego, and J. E. Reynolds of the Univer- 

 sity of Miami assisted in the necropsies and in the 

 preparation of skeletal material. William F. Per- 

 rin, Southwest Fisheries Center, NMFS, NCAA, 

 La Jolla, kindly read the manuscript and provided 

 criticism and suggestions. 



FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 78, NO. 2 



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