I'd like to meet:
"Dolphins":
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 metres (4 ft) and 40 kilograms (88 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and ten tonnes (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are considered to be amongst the most intelligent of animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture.
"Origin of the name"
The name is originally from Ancient Greek delphÃs (delphÃs; "dolphin"), which was related to the Greek delphys (delphys; "womb"). The animal's name can therefore be interpreted as meaning "a 'fish' with a womb". The name was transmitted via the Latin delphinus, Middle Latin dolfinus and the Old French daulphin, which reintroduced the ph into the word.
The word is used in a few different ways. It can mean:
* Any member of the family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins),
* Any member of the families Delphinidae and Platanistoidea (oceanic and river dolphins),
* Any member of the suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales; these include the above families and some others),
* 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 this sense. Orcas and some closely related species belong to the Delphinidae family and therefore qualify as dolphins, even though they are called whales in common language. A group of dolphins can be called a "school" or a "pod". Male dolphins are called "bulls", females "cows" and young dolphins are called "calves".
"Taxonomy"Common Dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Spotted Dolphin
Commerson's Dolphin
Dusky Dolphin
Killer Whales, also known as Orcas
The Boto, or Amazon River Dolphin
* Suborder Odontoceti, toothed whaleso Family Delphinidae, oceanic dolphins
+ Genus Delphinus
Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis
+ Genus Tursiops
Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops aduncus
+ 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 Peponocephala
Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra
+ Genus Orcinus
Killer Whale (Orca), 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
o Family Platanistoidea, river dolphins
+ Genus Inia
Boto (Amazon River Dolphin), Inia geoffrensis
+ Genus Lipotes
Chinese River Dolphin (Baiji), Lipotes vexillifer (considered functionally extinct)
+ Genus Platanista
Ganges River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica
Indus River Dolphin, Platanista minor
+ Genus Pontoporia
La Plata Dolphin (Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei
Six species in the family Delphinidae are commonly called "whales" but are strictly speaking dolphins. They are sometimes called "blackfish".
* Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra
* Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca
* Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata
Wolphin Kawili'Kai at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii.
* False Killer Whale, Psudorca crassidens
* Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas
* Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
"Hybrid dolphins"In 1933, three abnormal dolphins were beached off the Irish coast; these appeared to be hybrids between Risso's Dolphin and the Bottlenose Dolphin. This mating has since been repeated in captivity and a hybrid calf was born. In captivity, a Bottlenose Dolphin and a Rough-toothed Dolphin produced hybrid offspring. A Common-Bottlenose hybrid lives at SeaWorld California and another one lives at Discovery Cove in Orlando. Various other dolphin hybrids live in captivity around the world or have been reported the wild, such as a Bottlenose-Atlantic Spotted hybrid. The best known hybrid however is the Wolphin, a False Killer Whale-Bottlenose Dolphin hybrid. The Wolphin is a fertile hybrid, and two such Wolphins currently live at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii, the first having been born in 1985 from a male False Killer Whale and a female Bottlenose. Wolphins have also been observed in the wild.
Facts from Article @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin
Facts from Article @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin
