Dolphins are marine mammals that evolved from land animals, adapting to aquatic environments. Known for their fish-based diet, dorsal fins, and pointed snouts, dolphins are widely recognized. But did you know there are also rare freshwater dolphins? This article introduces 20 dolphin species grouped into five main families: Pontoporiidae, Platanistidae, Iniidae, Lipotidae, and Delphinidae.
Family Pontoporiidae
Contains a single living species, the Franciscana or La Plata dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), inhabiting Argentina’s Rio de la Plata and adjacent Atlantic coasts. Length ranges from 1.3 to 1.7 meters; brown with gray belly and a snout accounting for 15% of body length. Vulnerable due to accidental fishing net capture.
Family Platanistidae
Includes the Ganges and Indus river dolphins (Platanista gangetica) with two endangered subspecies. Characterized by long, narrow snouts and vestigial eyes lacking lenses, relying solely on echolocation.
Family Iniidae
Contains freshwater and estuarine dolphins. Notable is the Amazon pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), lacking a dorsal fin and measuring 1.8 to 2.5 meters long. It can move its head side to side to catch prey and is currently endangered.
Family Lipotidae
Now extinct, it included the Chinese river dolphin or Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer). Native to the Yangtze River, this species is functionally extinct due to habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing.
Family Delphinidae
The most familiar marine dolphins, inhabiting shallow coastal and continental shelf waters. Characterized by pointed dorsal fins, bulbous foreheads housing echolocation organs, and varying shades of gray to bluish colors. Highly social, they hunt fish with sharp teeth.
Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis): cosmopolitan in tropical and temperate waters with distinct lateral coloration; conservation status least concern.
Commerson’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii): mostly white with dark markings, short snout, highly agile.
Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba): prevalent in the Mediterranean, marked with characteristic stripes.
Others include bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, Fraser’s dolphin, and many more.
animal tags： Dolphins
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