“Sky Blue”
★ Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
The striped dolphin’s species name, coeruleoalba, is a combination of the Latin words ‘caeruleus’ meaning sky- or ocean blue, or caerulean, and ‘alba’ meaning white. How they got to be called this is not certain, for although it is often said to refer to their colours, striped dolphins are rather more grey than blue. But perhaps it’s because they are more bluish grey than other delphinids, especially after death. Either way it makes for a beautiful Latin name.