Pacific White-sided DolphinsDolphins in balance.Dolphin leaping in the air.
Discover great deals on the many hard to find and one of a kind items available only on ebay!

Dolphin

Dolphins are aquatic mammals related to whales and porpoises. The name is from Ancient Greek δελφίς delphis meaning "with a womb", viz. "a 'fish' with a womb". more...

HomeHome
AmphibianAmphibian
ArthropodArthropod
BirdBird
CatCat
DinosaurDinosaur
DogDog
FishFish
MammalMammal
AardvarkAardvark
AnteaterAnteater
AntelopeAntelope
ApeApe
ArmadilloArmadillo
BadgerBadger
BandicootBandicoot
BatBat
BearBear
BeaverBeaver
BelugaBeluga
BisonBison
Black BearBlack Bear
Blue WhaleBlue Whale
BoarBoar
BobcatBobcat
Brown BearBrown Bear
BullBull
BunnyBunny
CamelCamel
CattleCattle
CheetahCheetah
ChimpChimp
ChimpanzeeChimpanzee
ChipmunkChipmunk
CowCow
CoyoteCoyote
DeerDeer
DolphinDolphin
DonkeyDonkey
ElephantElephant
ElkElk
FerretFerret
FoxFox
GiraffeGiraffe
GoatGoat
GooseGoose
GopherGopher
GorillaGorilla
Grizzly BearGrizzly Bear
HareHare
HedgehogHedgehog
HippopotomasHippopotomas
HorseHorse
HumanHuman
Humpback WhaleHumpback Whale
IbexIbex
JaguarJaguar
KangarooKangaroo
Killer WhaleKiller Whale
KoalaKoala
LemmingLemming
LemurLemur
LeopardLeopard
LionLion
LynxLynx
ManateeManatee
MarmotMarmot
MarsupialMarsupial
MeercatMeercat
MinkMink
MoleMole
MongooseMongoose
MonkeyMonkey
MooseMoose
MouseMouse
MuleMule
MuskratMuskrat
OppossumOppossum
OrangutanOrangutan
OrcaOrca
OtterOtter
PangolinPangolin
PigPig
Polar BearPolar Bear
PorcupinePorcupine
PorpoisePorpoise
PossumPossum
Prairie DogPrairie Dog
RabbitRabbit
RacoonRacoon
RatRat
RhinocerosRhinoceros
RodentRodent
SealSeal
SheepSheep
ShrewShrew
SkunkSkunk
SlothSloth
Sperm WhaleSperm Whale
SquirrelSquirrel
SteerSteer
TenrecTenrec
TigerTiger
VoleVole
WalrusWalrus
WeaselWeasel
WhaleWhale
WolfWolf
WolverineWolverine
WombatWombat
Wooly MammothWooly Mammoth
ZebraZebra
MythologicalMythological
ReptileReptile


The word is used in a few different ways. It can mean:

  1. Any member of the family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins),
  2. Any member of the families Delphinidae and Platanistoidea (oceanic and river dolphins),
  3. Any member of the suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales; these include the above families and some others),
  4. Used casually as a synonym for Bottlenose Dolphin, the most common and familiar species of dolphin.

In this article, the second definition is used.

Porpoises (suborder Odontoceti, family Phocoenidae) are thus not dolphins in our sense. Orcas and some related species belong to the Delphinidae family and therefore qualify as dolphins, even though they are called whales in common language.

There are almost 40 species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from 1.2 m (4 ft) and 40 kg (88 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and 10 tonnes (the Orca). Most species weigh about 50 to 200 kg (110 to 440 lb). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and all are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid.

The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about 10 million years ago, during the Miocene.

Taxonomy

  • Suborder Odontoceti, toothed whales
    • Family Delphinidae, oceanic Dolphins
      • Genus Delphinus
        • Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
        • Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis
      • Genus Tursiops
        • Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
      • Genus Lissodelphis
        • Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
        • Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissiodelphis peronii
      • Genus Sotalia
        • Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis
      • Genus Sousa
        • Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Sousa chinensis
          • Chinese White Dolphin (the Chinese variant), Sousa chinensis chinensis
        • Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii
      • Genus Stenella
        • Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis
        • Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene
        • Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata
        • Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris
        • Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
      • Genus Steno
        • Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis
      • Genus Cephalorynchus
        • Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia
        • Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii
        • Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
        • Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori
      • Genus Grampus
        • Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus
      • Genus Lagenodelphis
        • Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
      • Genus Lagenorhyncus
        • 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
      • Genus Orcaella
        • Australian Snubfin Dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni
        • Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris
      • Genus Peponocephalia
        • Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephalia electra
      • Genus Orcinus
        • Killer Whale, Orcinus orca
      • Genus Feresa
        • Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata
      • Genus Pseudorca
        • False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens
      • Genus Globicephala
        • Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas
        • Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
    • Family Platanistoidea, River Dolphins
      • Genus Inia
        • Boto (Amazon River Dolphin), Inia geoffrensis
      • Genus Lipotes
        • Chinese River Dolphin (Baiji), Lipotes vexillife
      • Genus Platanista
        • Ganges River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica
        • Indus River Dolphin, Platanista minor
      • Genus Pontoporia
        • La Plata Dolphin (Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei

Six animals in the family Delphinidae are commonly called "whales" but are strictly speaking dolphins. They are sometimes called "blackfish":

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]

Click to see more Dolphin items at www.ebay.com
Prices current as of last update, 03/17/24 12:21am.

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links eBay