Clymene Dolphin vs Foxtail Smut

Stenella clymene compared with Urocystis alopecuri

Key Differences

Clymene Dolphin is Least Concern while Foxtail Smut is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clymene Dolphin	Foxtail Smut
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Ustilaginomycetes (Ustilaginomycetes)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Urocystidales (Urocystidales)
Family	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)	Urocystidaceae
Genus	Stenella	Urocystis
Species	Stenella clymene	Urocystis alopecuri

Conservation Status

Clymene Dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Foxtail Smut

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clymene Dolphin	Foxtail Smut
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clymene Dolphin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Venezuela.

Foxtail Smut

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium and Sweden.

Clymene Dolphin

The Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene, is a small cetacean endemic to the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea south along both the western and eastern Atlantic margins to approximately 20 degrees south latitude. Often called the short-snouted spinner dolphin, it is the only known naturally occurring cetacean hybrid species, believed to have originated through hybridization between the spinner dolphin (S. longirostris) and the striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba). Clymene dolphins are acrobatic and frequently perform spinning leaps similar to but less elaborate than their spinner relatives. They travel in schools typically ranging from 10 to several hundred individuals, sometimes associating with other dolphin species. The species inhabits deep offshore pelagic waters and is rarely observed close to coastlines. It feeds primarily on fish and cephalopods, foraging at night when mesopelagic prey move into shallower waters. Clymene dolphins measure approximately 1.7–2 meters in length and display a distinctive tripartite pattern of dark cape, lighter grey flanks, and white or pale yellow belly. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its relatively wide range and no evidence of major population-level threats.