Common dolphin

For the ray-finned fish known as the common dolphinfish, see Mahi-mahi.

Common dolphin
Size compared to an average human
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this 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
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 dolphin, striped dolphin, spinner dolphin, Clymene dolphin, spotted dolphin, Fraser's dolphin, 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]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "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)
  5. ^ 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. Bibcode:2012MolPE..64..243A. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.04.004. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 22503758.
  6. ^ "Long-beaked common dolphin". Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2020-07-10.