Common Dolphin
(also known as Saddled-backed Dolphin)
"Delphinus delphis"
Kingdom |Phylum |Class |Order |Family |Genius and Species
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Kingdom: Animalia
Characteristics that place it here:
Heterotroph
Multicellular
ingest food and digest it in an internal cavity
All animals are members of the Kingdom Animalia, also called Metazoa
Phylum: Chordata
Characteristics that place it here:
Bilateral symmetry
Segmented body
Segmented muscles
3 germ layers and well develop coelom
Single, dorsal, hollow nerve cord, usually with enlarged anterior and brain
Digestive system (complete)
Bony or cartilaginous endoskeleton usually present
Class: Mammalia
Characteristics that place it here:
3 middle ear bones
Hair
Mammary glands
Malleus
Incus
Stapes
Order: Cetacea
Characteristics that place it here:
Mysticeti
Odontoceti
Fusi form
Stream lined body shaped
paddle shaped front limbs
Family: Delphinidae
Characteristics that place it here:
Common dolphins have an estimated life span of 35 - 40 years
Family: Delphinidae
Common dolphin, Saddleback dolphin
Genus and Species: Delphinus, and Delphinus Delphis
Characteristics that place it here:
Nickname for a common dolphin is called " crisscross dolphin."
Common dolphins are a colorful dolphin species.
The common dolphin is one of the smallest dolphins
Overall length can vary from 5 feet - 8 feet
Females are slightly smaller than males
The common dolphin has a dorsal fin that is almost triangular
They also have small flippers and flukes
The beak is sharply divided from the lower forehead by a deep groove
The beak is elongated and pointed more than any other species of the same genus
They swim very fast
They are intelligent mammals that their brains are almost the same size of a human brain
Dolphins give birth to live babies and nurse them like many animal mothers do
Mature female dolphins will give birth every 2 to 3 years
Porpoises and dolphins are related, but they are not the same animal
Dolphins have a larger forehead and round teeth when subsectioned
Porpoises are slimmer and have flat teeth when subsectioned
Dolphins and whales are from the same family. In fact, dolphins are called "toothed whales" and the largest dolphin is the Killer Whale (Orca), which can grow to 20 to 30 feet in length.
Bottlenosed dolphins (which are the most common dolphins) grow 8 to 9 feet long at adulthood
Bottlenose dolphins can easily swim 3 to 7 miles per hour and can go over 20 miles per hour if required
Dolphins can be found in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and they prefer warm to tropical waters
A dolphin's diet consists of fish, crustaceans and squid (when available)
Dolphins have astute sound, keen vision, touch and taste senses, although they cannot smell
Dolphins are very intelligent
Dolphin communicate with action signals and body gestures
Dolphins have astute sound, keen vision, touch and taste senses, although they cannot smell.
They also use clicking sound pulses to help them navigate through the water
The sound pulses bounce off objects and let the dolphin know what is ahead and how large the object is
Although dolphins are for the most part friendly, fun-loving animals, they can be vicious if provoked
A dolphin can easily break a human's ribs and cause serious internal damage if they ram you with their noses
Anyone swimming with dolphins needs to be aware of the body signals of the dolphin which say "I've had enough" and respect those signals
Dolphins are mammals, like humans, and belong to a group called cetaceans, which includes whales
They are warm blooded and use the blow hold at the top of their heads to breathe air like other land animals although they live in the sea
They close this blow hole when diving
underwater to prevent water from entering their lungs
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My common Dolphin |
Daring sea creatures when they want to be Out and about energetic mammals Lovable and playful Intelligent creatures Peaceful and powerful Has mighty strength Incredible swimmers Nice creatures |
Alspaugh, Maria . "Common Dolphin." October 2000. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 11 Feb 2004. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Delphinus_delphis.html>.
