Types of Dolphins
Q: How did Flipper get his name?
A: Because he keeps on doing flips.
There are many different types of Dolphins.. and even some which
are whales, although strictly speaking: dolphins!
- 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":
- 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
Dolphin leaping in the air. |
Q: Does a dolphin ever do something by
accident?
A: No, they do everything on porpoise!
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