Dolphins are toothy marine animals belonging to the Delphinidae mammals family (oceanic dolphins) and Platanistidae and Iniidae, which include river dolphins. 6 types of dolphins are called whales, including killer whales and shortplated grind.
Delphin’s description
Most dolphins are small, no longer than 3 meters, they have spindleshaped bodies, beaklike faces (rostrums) and simple acupuncture teeth. Some of these whaling are sometimes called naval pigs, but scientists prefer to use this term as a common name for six species in the Phocoenidae family, which differ from dolphins in that they have stupid muzzles and scapulant teeth.
Types of dolphins
River dolphins
Amazonian INII (Inia Geoffrensis)
The average length of the dolphins of the Amazon river is about 2 m. They come in all shades of pink: from dull gray-pink to pink pink and bright pink, like Flamingo. This color change is associated with the purity of water in which the dolphin lives. The darker the water, the brighter the animal. Sunny rays make them lose pink pigmentation. The gloomy waters of the Amazons protect the bright shade of the dolphin.
When excited, these animals change body color to bright pink. There are several anatomical differences between the dolphins of the Amazon River and other types of dolphins. For example, the holes turn the neck from side to side, while most types of dolphins are deprived of this possibility. This trait combined with their ability to row forward alone and at the same time rowing back the other fin helps dolphins to maneuver against the course of the river. These dolphins actually swim on flooded land, and their flexibility helps them move around the trees. An additional characteristic that distinguishes the same from other species is teeth similar to molar. With their help, they chew rough vegetation. Hales similar to bristles, at the ends of their muzzle, help to look for food on a dirty river bottom.
Gangan (Platanista gangetica)
This grayish-brown dolphin has an unusually looking head and face. Their tiny eyes resemble holes the size of a pins injection just above the end of their inverted mouth line. The eyes are practically useless, these dolphins are almost blind and determine only the color and intensity of light.
A long, thin face is lined with many sharp, pointed teeth, which lengthen the tip and are visible on the outer side of the mouth. The dorsal fin has the appearance of a small triangular hump shape, the stomach is rounded, which gives dolphins a stocky view. The fins are triangular, large and wide, have a toothed rear edge. The tails are also large and wide.
Dolphins grow to 2.5 m and weigh more than 90 kg, females are a little larger than males.
Dolphin La Plata (Pontoporia Blainvillei)
Usually found in the coastal areas of the southeastern part of South America. This member of the family of river dolphins is the only species that lives in the marine environment. Dolphin La Payment can be seen in the mouths of rivers and small coastal waters, where salted water.
The dolphin has the longest beak in relation to the size of the body among all members of the Dolphin family. In adult individuals, the beaks can be up to 15% body length. They are one of the smallest dolphins, adult animals 1.5 m in length.
Dolphins of La Plates are rowing in water not breast fins, but long flows. Females of Dolphins of La Plates reach puberty at the age of four years, and after a period of pregnancy 10-11 months, they give birth for the first time at the age of five years. They weigh up to 50 kg (males and females) and live in nature on average 20 years.
Sea dolphins
Delphinus capensis)
Dolphin after complete maturation reaches a length of up to 2.6 m and weighs up to 230 kg, while males are heavier and longer than females. These dolphins have a dark back, white stomach and yellow, gold or grayish sides that repeat the shape of a sand clock.
The long sharp triangular dorsal fin is located approximately in the middle of the back, the long beak (as the name) is equipped with small sharp teeth.
Delphin-white (Delphinus delphis)
He has an interesting color. On the body, dark gray patterns, which are covered in a V-shaped form under the dorsal fin on both sides of the body. Sides of brown or yellow in the front and gray in the rear. The back of the dolphin is black or brown, and the stomach is whitish.
Males are longer and, therefore, heavier than females. Weigh up to 200 kg and up to 2.4 m in length. In the mouth up to 65 teeth in each half of the jaw, which makes it mammals with the largest number of teeth.
Dilobry Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus Eutropia)
The length of this small type of dolphin on average is 1.5-1.8 m in an adult individual. Due to the small size and rounded shape of these dolphins, they are sometimes confused with naval pigs.
Body color is a mixture of various shades of dark gray with whitish coloring around fins and abdomen.
Facilitates identification and distinguishes from other types of dolphins: a distinctly short beak, rounded fins and a rounded dorsal fin.
Longfrying shackle
Dolphins are known as skilled acrobats among relatives (other dolphins sometimes rotate in the air, but only for a couple of revolutions). The longfingered shackle dwells in the eastern tropical part of the Pacific, makes seven revolutions of the body in one jump, begins to rotate in the water just before going up above the surface, and jumps up to 3 m into the air, continuously rotating before falling back in sea.
All dolphins have longfingered long, thin beak, slender body, small curved fins with pointed tips and a high triangular spinal fin.
Whitenorthern dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)
A medium-sized dolphin is endemic for the northeastern and western Atlantic, has a stocky physique with an average length of 2-3 m and weighs up to 360 kg with full maturation.
As the names, the dolphin received a name thanks to a short cream-white beak. Its upper part is black. Dolphin has black fins and black flippers. The lower body of the body is white-cream. The white strip passes above the eyes near the fins to the back and around the back of the spinal fin.
Brandtoothely dolphin
The view looks unusual, outwardly the dolphins are quite primitive, a little similar to dolphins of prehistoric. Distinctive feature small head. This is the only longcloudy dolphin without a noticeable fold between the beak and forehead. The beak is long, white, smoothly passes into the inclined forehead. Body from black to dark gray. The back is light gray. White stomach sometimes with a shade of pink. The body is dotted with white uneven spots.
The flippers are quite long and large, the spinal fin is tall and slightly “hook” or curved.
Afalin (Tursiops Truncatus)
In the human performance, most likely, all dolphins are Afalins. They are the most recognizable of all types because of films and television shows. As a rule, these are relatively large, thick individuals with a dark gray back and pale belly. They have a short and thick beak and a charming shape of the mouth, which looks like dolphins smile a regrettable feature, if you think about how attractive this “smile” made dolphins for the “entertainment” industry. Cuts and marks on the spinal fin are unique, like fingerprints.
Widedead (Peponocephala Electra)
Torpedoshaped body and conical head are ideal for fast swimming. The beak is absent, the head is gently rounded and decorated with white marks on the lips and dark “masks” around the eyes especially attractive features of these animals. Bulfshape of arcs, pointed flippers and wide tail fins, steelcolored body have dark “capes” under the back fins and pale spots on the stomachs.
Chinese (sousa chinensis)
All hunchbacked dolphins have a small triangular fin on the “hill”. All “humpbacked” dolphins are similar to each other. But the Chinese form has a less characteristic “hump” than its Atlantic cousins, but more obvious than the Indo-Pacific and Australian dolphins.
Head and body length 120-280 cm, up to 140 kg weighing. Long narrow jaws are filled with teeth, wide tail fins (45 cm), spinal bone (15 cm in height) and chest fins (30 cm). Brown, gray, black from above and pale below are found in the color of dolphins. Some specimens can be whitish, speckled or freckled. They are sometimes also called pink dolphins.
Iravadian (Orcaella Brevirostris)
There are no difficulties with dolphin identification. In the Iravadian species instantly recognizable, charismatic rounded head and muzzle without beak. Animals are similar to a beluga, only with a dorsal fin. Expressiveness of the muzzle give their movable lips and folds on the necks, dolphins can move their heads in all directions. They are gray throughout the body extension, but lighter on the stomach. The dorsal fin is small, the flippers are long and large, with curved front edges and rounded ends, the tails are also large.
Crossshaped (Lagenorhynchus Cruciger)
The nature of the animal performed the distinctive marking on the sides of the animal in the form of a sand clock. The base color of the dolphin is black (white belly), a white strip passes along each side of the body (starting right behind the mouth and to the very tail), which narrows under the dorsal fin, creates the appearance of sand clocks. Dolphins also have quite characteristic fins, which in shape resemble a hook on a wide basis. The more the fin is bent back, the older the individual.
Killer (Orcinus Orca)
Killed (yes, yes, belongs to the Dolphin family) the largest and one of the most powerful predators in the world. They are immediately recognized by a characteristic black and white color: a dark black top and a pure white bottom, a white spot behind each eye and on the sides, a “saddled spot” immediately behind the dorsal fin. Smart and sociable, wanders make a variety of communicative sounds, and every jamb sings distinctive notes that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt.
Delphin propagation
In dolphins, the genitals are located on the lower body. Males have two slots, one hides a penis, and the other anus. The female has one gap containing the vagina and the anus. Two milk slots are located on both sides of the female sexual slit.
Dolphin’s copulation occurs to the stomach to the stomach, the act is short, but can be repeated several times in a short time. The period of pregnancy depends on the type, in small dolphins this period is about 11–12 months, in killer whales about 17. Typically, dolphins give birth to one cub, which, unlike most other mammals, in most cases is born forward with a tail. Dolphins become sexually active at a young age, even until puberty, which depends on the type and gender.
What the dolphins eat
Fish and squid are the main food, but the killer whales feed on other marine mammals and sometimes hunt for whales, which are larger than themselves.
Hermian feeding method: dolphins drive a jamb of fish into a small volume. Then, in turn, dolphins feed on stunned fish. The trawl method: dolphins drive fish in shallow water so that it is easier to catch it. Some species beat the fish with tails, stun and eat. Others knock the fish out of the water and catch the prey in the air.
Natural enemies of dolphins
Dolphins have few natural enemies. Some species or specific populations do not have a single one at the top of the food chain. Small types of dolphins, especially young animals, are hunting large sharks. Some large types of dolphins, especially the wanders, also hunt small dolphins, but these are rare cases.
Human relationship to dolphins
Dolphins play an important role in human culture. Greek mythology mentions them. Dolphins were important for the Minoans, judging by the artistic data from the destroyed palace in Knossos. In Hindu mythology, dolphin is associated with Ganges, the deity of the Gang River.
But people not only love these creatures, but also destroy them, cause suffering.
Drifter fishing and gill nets unintentionally kill dolphins. In some parts of the world, such as Japan and Faroe Islands, dolphins traditionally consider food, and people hunt them with a harpoon.
