| Scientific name: | Cephalorhynchus hectori/māui |
| Family: | Delphinidae |
| Range: | New Zealand waters |
| Habitat: | Shallow coastal and estuarine waters |
| Status: | Endangered |
| Population: | Fewer than 5,000 |
| Diet: | Small fish, squid, and bottom-living invertebrates |
| Length: | 1.2 – 1.5 m; females slightly larger than males |
| Weight: | 35 – 60 kg |
Identification
Flukes
This is the tail of the animal. These dolphins have concave trailing edges and a slight notch in the middle. Dark above and below.
Dorsal Fin
The dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. They have a very distinctive dark, rounded dorsal fin in the middle of the back.
Flippers
The front limbs on a dolphin are called flippers. Their flippers are black or dark gray and have rounded tips.
Head Shape
Blunt head with a black, non-protruding beak. The threat is white and the forehead is gray. A dark band extends from the mouth and eye region to the flipper.
Body
The upper body is mainly light gray. The underside is white with a dark boarder. A white region extends into the lower flank and points toward the tail.
Group Size
Usually in groups of 2-8, with up to 50 on occasion.
Behaviour
May bow-ride or wake-ride slow-moving vessels. Sometimes playful and acrobatic. May leap high, breach, or swim upside down. Rarely dives for more than 90 seconds.