Marine mammal records from Iran

Iran has 1,700km of coastline that borders the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea in northwest Indian Ocean. Apart from a handful records, almost nothing is known about which marine mammal species occur Iranian waters. This review was conducted to fill this information gap. A total 127 records 14 were compiled coastal Ninety-nine Gulf, 26 Oman 2 unknown location. Records finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) (25), Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) (24) bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) (22) by far most numerous, probable reflection their inshore distribution local abundance. Other recorded long-beaked common (Delphinus capensis tropicalis), roughtoothed (Steno bredanensis), striped (Stenella coeruleoalba), spinner longirostris), Risso’s (Grampus griseus), false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) dugong (Dugong dugon). mysticetes compiled, 10 tentatively identified as Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni), 1 possible fin physalus), 3 (Megaptera novaeangliae) remainder not species. The largest threat small cetaceans likely be incidental capture fishing gear. Nine porpoises bycatch other may declining due unsustainable mortality rates. Some world’s busiest shipping lanes pass through waters ship strikes are area.