A previously undescribed skin abnormality, referred to as “linear skin markings” (LSM), has been identified in free‐ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (IRL). The lesions were identified during photo‐identification surveys conducted from 2002 and 2015. LSM presented as distinct, parallel lines running dorso‐ventrally on the torso and varied in length and width. The goals of this study were to determine (1) prevalence of the condition in IRL dolphins, (2) age and sex distribution of affected animals, (3) spatial and temporal distribution patterns, (4) duration of the condition, and (5) development of hypotheses regarding the etiology of the condition. Among 1,357 individual dolphins identified during the study period, 96 (7.0%) showed evidence of LSM. Nearly all (98.8%) cases with an established home range occurred in the northern and central regions of the IRL. The majority of cases of known sex were female (85%), of which 100% had given birth to one or more calves. The mean age of animals with LSM when first observed was 7.3 with a range of 1–20 years. The maximum observed duration of LSM was 15 years. Once observed, the condition persisted indefinitely. The etiology of LSM has not been established.

中文翻译：

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来自佛罗里达印第安河泻湖的普通宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）的线性皮肤斑纹

在自由放养的宽吻宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）中，发现了一种先前未描述的皮肤异常，称为“线性皮肤斑纹”（LSM）。）在佛罗里达州印第安纳河泻湖（IRL）中。病变是在2002年至2015年进行的照片识别调查中识别的。LSM显示为在躯干上背腹侧延伸的不同且平行的线，其长度和宽度各不相同。这项研究的目的是确定（1）IRL海豚中的疾病患病率，（2）受影响动物的年龄和性别分布，（3）时空分布模式，（4）疾病持续时间和（5 ）关于病因的假说的发展。在研究期间确定的1,357只海豚中，有96只（7.0％）表现出LSM迹象。几乎所有（98.8％）拥有确定范围的病例都发生在IRL的北部和中部地区。大多数已知性别的病例为女性（85％），其中100％生了一只或多只小牛。首次观察到LSM动物的平均年龄为7.3岁，范围为1至20岁。LSM的最长观察期为15年。一旦观察到，该病将无限期持续。LSM的病因尚未确定。