For the ray-finned fish known as the common dolphinfish, see Mahi-mahi.
Common dolphin
Size compared to an average human
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Artiodactyla
Infraorder:
Cetacea
Family:
Delphinidae
Genus:
Delphinus Linnaeus, 1758
Species:
D. delphis
Binomial name
Delphinus delphis
Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies
D. d. delphis
D. d. bairdii
D. d. ponticus
D. d. tropicalis
Range of common dolphin
Synonyms
Delphinus albimanus Peale, 1848
Delphinus algeriensis Loche, 1860
Delphinus capensis Gray, 1828
Delphinus delphus Linnaeus, 1758
Delphinus forsteri Gray, 1846
Delphinus fulvifasciatus Wagner, 1846
Delphinus fulvofasciatus True, 1889
Delphinus janira Gray, 1846
Delphinus loriger Wiegmann, 1846
Delphinus marginatus Lafont, 1868
Delphinus novaezealandiae Gray, 1850
Delphinus novaezeelandiae Wagner, 1846
Delphinus novaezelandiae Quoy & Gaimard, 1830
Delphinus vulgaris Lacépède, 1804
Delphinus zelandae Gray, 1853
The common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is the most abundant cetacean in the world, with a global population of about six million.[3] Despite this fact and its vernacular name, the common dolphin is not thought of as the archetypal dolphin, with that distinction belonging to the bottlenose dolphin due to its popular appearances in aquaria and the media. However, the common dolphin is often depicted in Ancient Greek and Roman art and culture, most notably in a mural painted by the Greek Minoan civilization.[4]
It is presently the only member of the genus Delphinus. The common dolphin belongs to the subfamily Delphininae, making this dolphin closely related to the three different species of bottlenose dolphins, humpback dolphins, striped dolphins, spinner dolphins, clymene dolphin, spotted dolphins, fraser's dolphin and the tucuxi and guiana dolphin.[5] The common dolphin was originally categorized into two different species (now thought to be ecotypes), the short-beaked common dolphin and the long-beaked common dolphin. However, recent evidence has shown that many populations of long-beaked common dolphins around the world are not closely related to one another and are often derived from a short-beaked ancestor and do not always share common derived characteristics. For this reason, they are no longer considered different species.[6]
^Braulik, G.; Jefferson, T.A.; Bearzi, G. (2021). "Delphinus delphis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T134817215A199893039. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T134817215A199893039.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^Hammond, P.S., Bearzi, G., Bjørge, A., Forney, K., Karczmarski, L., Kasuya, T., Perrin, W.F., Scott, M.D., Wang, J.Y., Wells, R.S. & Wilson, B. 2008. Delphinus delphis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T6336A12649851. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T6336A12649851.en. Downloaded on 10 July 2020.
^"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2020-07-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Amaral, Ana R.; Jackson, Jennifer A.; Möller, Luciana M.; Beheregaray, Luciano B.; Manuela Coelho, M. (2012-07-01). "Species tree of a recent radiation: The subfamily Delphininae (Cetacea, Mammalia)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 64 (1): 243–253. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.04.004. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 22503758.
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The Indus river dolphin (Platanista minor) is a species of freshwater dolphin in the family Platanistidae. It is endemic to the Indus River basin in Pakistan...
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Plata dolphin is also widely known as the Franciscana (the Argentine and Uruguayan name), a name that has been adopted internationally. Other common names...
been adopted as the species' common name. Despite being found in geographic locations similar to those of 'true' river dolphins such as the boto, the tucuxi...
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