Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphinus

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Common Dolphin

“ There's no question dolphins are smarter than humans as they play more. ”

– Albert Einstein

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Infraorder: Cetacea

Family: Delphinidae

Genius: Delphinus

Species: Delphinus delphinus

Descendant: dolphins

Named by: Carl Linnaeus

Year Published: 1758 (10th Edition of Systema Naturae)

Size: 1.9 and 2.5 m (6.2 and 8.2 ft) long in length and height; 80–150 kg (180–330 lb) in weight

Lifespan: 35+ years

Activity: Cathemeral 🌅🌃

Thermoregulate: Endotherm

Type(s):

Synapsids
- Mammals (Dolphins)

Title(s):

Merswine
The Lifesaver

Pantheon(s): Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Neutral

Threat Level: ★★★★★★

Diet: Carnivorous 🥩🐟🥓🧽

Element(s): Water 🌊, Sound 🎵

Inflict(s): Waterblight 🌊, Soundblight 🎵, Echolocated 🔊

Weakness(es): Electric ⚡, Leaf 🌿, Ice ❄️, Sound 🎵

Casualties: ???

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) – IUCN Red List

The Short-Beaked Common Dolphin or simply known as Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphinus) is a species of common dolphin. It has a larger range than the long-beaked common dolphin, occurring throughout warm-temperate and tropical oceans, including the Indian Ocean, although in smaller numbers than other places they are found.

This animal was introduced or mentioned in The Last Stormtroopers, Historya Davvun, Seven Code Talkers, No Way to Seaway, Weather Dragons, Project Daejeon, Two Lights, Worldcraft, Equation, and Rescris series.

Etymology

The name is originally from Greek δελφίς (delphís), "dolphin", which was related to the Greek δελφύς (delphus), "womb". The animal's name can therefore be interpreted as meaning "a 'fish' with a womb". The name was transmitted via the Latin delphinus (the romanization of the later Greek δελφῖνος – delphinos), which in Medieval Latin became dolfinus and in Old French daulphin, which reintroduced the ph into the word "Dolphin". The term mereswine (that is, "sea pig") has also historically been used.

Singular: dolphin
Plural: dolphins

Physical Appearance

Common dolphins are medium-sized dolphins and sexual dimorphism, males are generally longer and heavier than females. A dark gray cape extends along the back from the head to just below the dorsal fin where a "V" is visible on either side of the body, creating an hourglass image. Forward of the dorsal fin, behind the head, is a yellow/tan panel that contrasts with the dark cape on their back.

The side of the body behind the dorsal fin is light gray, and a narrow, dark stripe extends from the lower jaw to the flipper, which includes a complex facial color pattern. The eye is not typically within the stripe, but still stands out due to a patch of dark pigment around the eye and brown colored eyes. They have long, thin rostra with up to 50–60 small, sharp, interlocking teeth on each side of each jaw.

Abilities

The dolphin ear has specific adaptations to the marine environment. In humans, the middle ear works as an impedance equalizer between the outside air's low impedance and the cochlear fluid's high impedance. The olfactory lobes and nerves are absent in dolphins, suggesting that they have no sense of smell. Rather than smell, they are not thought to have a good sense of taste, as their taste buds are atrophied or missing altogether. Dolphins send out high frequency clicks from an organ known as a melon.

This melon consists of fat, and the skull of any such creature containing a melon will have a large depression. This allows dolphins to produce biosonar for orientation. Beyond locating an object, echolocation also provides the animal with an idea on an object's shape and size, though how exactly this works is not yet understood.

Common dolphins can swim at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) in short bursts; they can maintain speeds of up to 25–35 km/h (15–22 mph); they have exceptional leaping and twisting ability, and they can execute acrobatic jumps. Common dolphins are conscious breathers; they can hold their breath for eight to ten minutes, but they typically surface every one to three minutes.

Weakness

Dolphins don't suffocate outside of water; they breathe air like all mammals, although they can die of dehydration out of water.

Ecology

Dolphins have few marine enemies. Some species or specific populations have none, making them apex predators. For most of the smaller species of dolphins, only a few of the larger sharks, such as the bull shark, dusky shark, tiger shark and great white shark, are a potential risk, especially for calves. The common dolphin is probably the most abundant cetacean species on the planet, and the overall species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is in no danger of extinction. Abundance has been estimated for most major portions of the species range in the Northern Hemisphere, but only for a few places in the Southern Hemisphere.

Common dolphins can live in aggregations of hundreds or even thousands of dolphins. Unlike many delphinids, common dolphins do not live in a matriarchal society. That being said, closely related individuals are usually found in similar geographical locations fairly consistently, providing evidence that this species displays site fidelity.

Behavior

The common dolphin was gregarious, playful, and acrobatic. Take a bow ride next to a boat. They use a sophisticated system of body language, whistles, and clicks to communicate. Dolphins are thought to be kind and clever, but they shouldn't be maintained in the wild because they frequently approach boats and swimmers. Dolphins were once hunted in various areas (drive hunts, for example), but they are now primarily seen in ecotourism to avoid persecution because we know that dolphins share human emotions. Should the survivor or another creature hit a dolphin, the whole pod retaliates, attacking all at once, similar to other sociable animals.

Threats and Conservation

Threats

Bycatch in fishing nets.
Pollution (plastics, chemical contaminants).
Habitat degradation.
Noise pollution disrupting echolocation.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation Efforts

Protection varies regionally, with some marine protected areas in place.
Anti-poaching enforcement.
Rescue and rehabilitation centers.
Awareness campaigns against illegal pet trade.

Distribution and Habitat

Common dolphins live in both warm-temperate and tropical waters ranging from 40–60°N to 50°S. Long-beaked common dolphins mostly inhabit shallow, warm coastal water. Common dolphins are a widely distributed species. They can be found around the world in both offshore and coastal waters. Overall, this species is still abundant worldwide, except for a few specific populations.

During The Recollections of Queen Arianna (TROQA) saga in the 2600s and 2700s, the "Sky People," or Terrans from Earth, brought the common dolphin to two exoplanets that resembled Earth: Reinachos from Cygnus and Berbania from Ursa Major. Despite the death of our planet, conservation efforts are helping this species recover from endangerment or near extinction. The dolphin became an invasive species as a result of human interactions for game hunting and rewilding. In two exoplanets that resembled Earth, the dolphin lived in conditions and climates identical to those of Earth.

Movement Pattern: Full Migrant
Individual Type: Pod
Population Trend: Unknown
Population:
- Earth: ???
- Berbania: 10,000,000
- Reinachos: ???
- Delphia: 2,000,000
Locomotion: Aquatic
Habitat: Warm Littoral; Cold Littoral; Warm Intertidal; Cold Intertidal; Kelp Forest; Coral Reef; Barrier Reef; Neritic Zone (Warm); Neritic Zone (Cold); Pelagic Zone (Warm); Pelagic Zone (Cold); Benthic Zone.
Earth:
- Extant (Resident): Albania; Algeria; Argentina; Australia; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belgium; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Bulgaria; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Congo; Costa Rica; Denmark; Djibouti; Ecuador; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Honduras; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Libya; Madagascar; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritania; Mexico; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Netherlands; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Panama; Peru; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Singapore; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Uruguay; Venezuela; Vietnam; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.; Western Sahara; Yemen
Delphia: worldwide
Berbania: worldwide
Reinachos: worldwide
Sawintir: worldwide

Tamed

You cannot tame most dolphin species, except for common dolphin, orca, tucuxi, spotted dolphin, Commerson's dolphin, and bottlenose dolphin. Dolphins can be fed raw cod or pulled along with a lead that are tamed non-violently, rather than through a cordial and curious creature, it will slowly approach any survivor that is within radius. To tame it, you need to pet the creature twice, then feed it with fish or lobster meat.