Name:Delphinus
Alias:Delphinus,common dolphin,Common dolphin
Outline:Cetacea
Family:Odontoceti Delphinidae Dolphin
length:About 200 cm
Weight:70-110kg
Life:25-30years
IUCN:LC
Common dolphins are called common dolphins in English. There are two species (long-beaked common dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins), with a total of four subspecies.
Common dolphins belong to the order Cetacea, the family Delphinidae, and the genus Delphinus in taxonomy. There are two species in this genus, the short-beaked dolphin and the long-beaked dolphin. They have a triangular light-colored area in the center of their dorsal fins and a deep groove on the left and right of the palate of their maxilla. These characteristics are enough to distinguish them from other animals in the Delphinidae family. Due to their wide distribution range, local variations are also great, especially the length of the beak and the body color vary greatly, so that those that were once classified as different species actually belong to the true dolphin.
True dolphins often form groups of dozens or hundreds of them. They are very attached and agile. They feed on fish and squid, especially schooling fish such as herring, sardines, mackerel, yellow croaker, horse mackerel, and hairtail. When chasing schools of fish, they often make frequent ups and downs on the water surface and jump out of the water from time to time. They swim very fast, with an instantaneous speed of up to 30 nautical miles (about 55km/h). Sometimes they follow behind fishing boats and ships, or sway in the waves at the bow of the ship.
Spring and autumn are the main mating seasons for true dolphins. Females give birth every 2-3 years. The gestation period is about 10-11 months. The length of the cubs at birth is 75-85 cm. The lactation period is more than 1 year.
Listed in the 2008 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver 3.1
Short-beaked true dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Least Concern (LC). Long-beaked true dolphin (Delphinus capensis) Data Deficient (DD).
Listed in the second level of the "List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China".
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