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A common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the clade Odontoceti (toothed whale).Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and possibly extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin).
The common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is the most abundant cetacean in the world, with a global population of about six million. [3] Despite this fact and its vernacular name, the common dolphin is not thought of as the archetypal dolphin, with that distinction belonging to the bottlenose dolphin due to its popular appearances in aquaria and the media.
Males are generally larger and heavier than females. In most parts of the world, adult length is between 2.5 and 3.5 m (8.2 and 11.5 ft); weight ranges between 200 and 500 kg (440 and 1,100 lb). [7] [10] Dolphins have a short and well-defined snout that looks like an old-fashioned gin bottle, which is the source for their common name. [15]
The bottlenose dolphin is a toothed whale in the genus Tursiops.They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. [3] Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), and Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops erebennus).
Researchers at the University of Zurich estimated that the 16-million-year-old fossil was more than 11 feet long and is said to be the longest freshwater dolphin ever found.
The white-beaked dolphin is a robust species of dolphin with a short beak. Adults can reach 2.3 to 3.1 m (7 ft 7 in to 10 ft 2 in) long and weigh 180 to 354 kg (397 to 780 lb). Calves are 1.1 to 1.2 m (3 ft 7 in to 3 ft 11 in) long at birth and probably weigh about 40 kg (88 lb). [4]
For comparison, adult king penguins usually weigh between 31 and 37 pounds. Pesto is the biggest chick Sea Life Melbourne has ever had. The aquarium put Pesto on public display in April.
The key distinguishing feature is the dolphin's coloration—a white to pale-yellow patch is found behind the dorsal fin on both sides of the body. [4] The white-sided dolphin's color variations are unique amongst the standard hues of white, grey, black and blue seen on other pelagic cetaceans. [4]