The rough-toothed dolphin lives widely in deep ocean waters from tropical to warmer temperate regions. Its long rostrum and large fins stand out, and it feeds on fish and squid.
The forehead slopes smoothly into a long rostrum, and the dorsal and pectoral fins are large. The body is dark gray, with a pale throat and lips.
On 23 March 2025, researchers observed a group of about 30 Rough-toothed Dolphins off mainland Ecuador. The sighting was about 12 kilometres west of Bajo Copé, in water deeper than 500 metres. The paper reports this as the first confirmed record of the species in Ecuadorian mainland waters.
The team identified the dolphins by their narrow black back marking, head shape, long pale snout, and tall dorsal fin. The sighting was at 1°46′S, 81°10′W and lasted 34 minutes. The group included animals of different ages and sexes, including a young calf, and was swimming north. Although the species is widespread in the eastern Pacific, the paper notes few records south of the equator or around the Galápagos.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The authors recommend increasing pelagic monitoring off Ecuador during different seasons to improve knowledge of cetaceans in the area. Repeated offshore observations can document where and when Rough-toothed Dolphins appear.