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| A '''dolphin''' is an aquatic ] of the order ], which also includes the ]s and ]s. | A '''dolphin''' is an aquatic ] of the order ], which also includes the ]s and ]s. | ||
| <div style="float:right; margin-left:15px; margin-right:10px; width:328px; text-align:center"> | <div style="float:right; margin-left:15px; margin-right:10px; width:328px; text-align:center"> | ||
| ]<br> | ]<br> | ||
| <small>Dusky Dolphins</small></div> | <small>Dusky Dolphins</small></div> | ||
| The word is used in a few different ways. It can mean: | The word is used in a few different ways. It can mean: | ||
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| '''] Oceanic Dolphins''' | '''] Oceanic Dolphins''' | ||
| * Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, <i>Delphinus capensis</i> | * Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, <i>Delphinus capensis</i> | ||
| * Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, <i>Delphinus delphis</i> | * Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, <i>Delphinus delphis</i> | ||
| * Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, <i>Lissodelphis borealis</i> | * Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, <i>Lissodelphis borealis</i> | ||
| * Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, <i>Lissiodelphis peronii</i> | * Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, <i>Lissiodelphis peronii</i> | ||
| * Tucuxi, <i>Sotalia fluviatilis</i> | * Tucuxi, <i>Sotalia fluviatilis</i> | ||
| * ] <i>Sousa chinensis</i> | * ] <i>Sousa chinensis</i> | ||
| ** ] is the Chinese variant | ** ] is the Chinese variant | ||
| * Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, <i>Sousa teuszii</i> | * Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, <i>Sousa teuszii</i> | ||
| * Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, <i>Stenella frontalis</i> | * Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, <i>Stenella frontalis</i> | ||
| * Clymene Dolphin, <i>Stenella clymene</i> | * Clymene Dolphin, <i>Stenella clymene</i> | ||
| * Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, <i>Stenella attenuata</i> | * Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, <i>Stenella attenuata</i> | ||
| * Spinner Dolphin, <i>Stenella longirostris</i> | * Spinner Dolphin, <i>Stenella longirostris</i> | ||
| * Striped Dolphin, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> | * Striped Dolphin, <i>Stenella coeruleoalba</i> | ||
| * Rough-Toothed Dolphin, <i>Steno bredanensis</i> | * Rough-Toothed Dolphin, <i>Steno bredanensis</i> | ||
| * Bottlenose Dolphin, <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> | * Bottlenose Dolphin, <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> | ||
| * Chilean Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus eutropia</i> | * Chilean Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus eutropia</i> | ||
| * Commerson's Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus commersonii</i> | * Commerson's Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus commersonii</i> | ||
| * Heaviside's Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus heavisidii</i> | * Heaviside's Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus heavisidii</i> | ||
| * Hector's Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus hectori</i> | * Hector's Dolphin, <i>Cephalorhynchus hectori</i> | ||
| * ], <i>Grampus griseus</i> | * ], <i>Grampus griseus</i> | ||
| * Fraser's Dolphin, <i>Lagenodelphis hosei</i> | * Fraser's Dolphin, <i>Lagenodelphis hosei</i> | ||
| * Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus acutus</i> | * Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus acutus</i> | ||
| * Dusky Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus obscurus</i> | * Dusky Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus obscurus</i> | ||
| * Hourglass Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus cruciger</i> | * Hourglass Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus cruciger</i> | ||
| * Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus obliquidens</i> | * Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus obliquidens</i> | ||
| * Peale's Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus australis</i> | * Peale's Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus australis</i> | ||
| * White-Beaked Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus albirostris</i> | * White-Beaked Dolphin, <i>Lagenorhynchus albirostris</i> | ||
| * Irrawaddy Dolphin, <i>Orcaella brevirostris</i> | * Irrawaddy Dolphin, <i>Orcaella brevirostris</i> | ||
| '''Platanistoidae ]s''' | '''Platanistoidae ]s''' | ||
| * ] (Amazon River Dolphin,)<i>Inia geoffrensis</i> | * ] (Amazon River Dolphin,)<i>Inia geoffrensis</i> | ||
| * ] (Baiji) <i>Lipotes vexillife </i> | * ] (Baiji) <i>Lipotes vexillife </i> | ||
| * ] <i>Platanista gangetica</i> | * ] <i>Platanista gangetica</i> | ||
| * ] <i>Platanista minor</i> | * ] <i>Platanista minor</i> | ||
| * ] (Franciscana) <i>Pontoporia blainvillei</i> | * ] (Franciscana) <i>Pontoporia blainvillei</i> | ||
| Six toothed whales are in the family Delphinidae, and are therefore strictly speaking dolphins. They are sometimes called "blackfish": | Six toothed whales are in the family Delphinidae, and are therefore strictly speaking dolphins. They are sometimes called "blackfish": | ||
Revision as of 14:20, 4 September 2003
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal of the order Cetacea, which also includes the whales and porpoises.
The word is used in a few different ways. It can mean:
- Family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins),
- Both Delphinidae and Platanistoidae (oceanic and river dolphins),
- Or all of suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales).
A porpoise (suborder Odontoceti, family Phocoenidae) is distinct from a dolphin.
There are almost 40 species of true dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from 1.2 metres and 40 kg (Heaviside's Dolphin), up to 7 metres and 4.5 tonnes (the Killer Whale which, despite the name, is a dolphin). Most species weigh between about 50 and about 200 kg. They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and all are carnivores, mostly taking fish and squid.
The dolphin family is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about 10 million years ago, during the Miocene.
List of dolphins
Delphinidae Oceanic Dolphins
- Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
- Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis
- Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
- Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissiodelphis peronii
- Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis
- Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin Sousa chinensis
- Chinese White Dolphin is the Chinese variant
- Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii
- Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis
- Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene
- Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata
- Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris
- Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
- Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis
- Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
- Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia
- Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii
- Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
- Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori
- Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus
- Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
- Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus
- Dusky Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus
- Hourglass Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger
- Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
- Peale's Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis
- White-Beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris
- Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris
Platanistoidae River Dolphins
- Boto (Amazon River Dolphin,)Inia geoffrensis
- Chinese River Dolphin (Baiji) Lipotes vexillife
- Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica
- Indus River Dolphin Platanista minor
- La Plata Dolphin (Franciscana) Pontoporia blainvillei
Six toothed whales are in the family Delphinidae, and are therefore strictly speaking dolphins. They are sometimes called "blackfish":
- Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephalia electra
- Killer Whale, Orcinus orca
- Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata
- False Killer Whale, Psudoorca crassidens
- Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas
- Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
See also military dolphin.
External link
Dolphin (or more properly, dolphinfish) is also used to describe a species of fish which is unrelated to the mammal. The name is being used more and more infrequently and is has generally been replaced with the name mahi-mahi to avoid confusion with the mammal, especially since the fish is commonly eaten.
Dolphin was the code name for the Nintendo Gamecube before it was released.