Dolphin
Dolphin belongs to the family of
aquatic mammals, or what are known as oceanic dolphins, as they are divided
into 40 different species.The size of dolphins ranges between 1.7 meters, which
is equivalent to 5.6 feet، It
weighs 50 kilograms, which is equivalent to 110 pounds, like the Maui dolphin,
to a length of 9.5 meters, which is equivalent to 31 feet, and a weight of up
to 10 tons, like a killer whale، Females
are smaller than males.Dolphins also have spindle-like bodies and sharp,
needle-like teeth.Dolphins are also characterized by intelligence, shyness,
fun, and friendliness towards humans، And
its ability to communicate using a group of sounds and ultrasonic pulses, and
the following will talk about the dolphin in some detail.
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| Information about dolphins |
Dolphin species
Although dolphins live in water and
resemble fish, they are actually mammals that give birth and breastfeed their
children, and breathe air just like us because they have lungs, not gills like
fish.
Therefore,
dolphins rise to the surface from time to time to breathe air through an
opening above their body that delivers air directly to their lungs، Dolphins can dive underwater for
between 15 and 30 minutes before needing to get air again.
Dolphin is not limited to one species.Rather, there are more than 40 species of dolphins, some of which live in fresh water (river water), and most of them are distinguished by their graceful body and jaw, which resembles a bird’s beak، It feeds on fish and squid.
Formal characteristics of the dolphin:
The majority of dolphin species are
two to three meters long, and the largest dolphin may reach four meters in
length.
The dolphin's body is distinguished
by having fins on the limbs in addition to a triangular fin on the back.Its
skin is also characterized by being elastic, soft, and colored with a mixture
of black, white, and grey، In
addition to the presence of an insulating layer of fat underneath.
Below is a breakdown of the formal
characteristics of dolphin:
Size :
The
average length of a dolphin is usually between 2-3.9 m, and it weighs on
average between 150-200 kg, but its size varies depending on where it lives.The
length of adult wild dolphins reaches 2.7 m، While those that live in marine life
ponds and industrial ponds, their length does not exceed approximately 2.6 m.
Their size also varies depending on
their species.For example, the weight of a wild dolphin that lives in the
western North Atlantic Ocean reaches 284 kg, and large dolphins that live in
the Pacific Ocean can weigh up to 454 kg، While the weight of dolphins in the
eastern North Atlantic Ocean reaches 650 kg, which is the maximum weight of
wild dolphins.
? Information about dolphins and how dolphins adapt to their environment
Skin :
Dolphin
skin is smooth and elastic, and does not contain hair follicles or sweat
glands, so it does not sweat.Likewise, the outer skin of a dolphin is about
15-20 times thicker than human skin، It
regenerates approximately every two hours; That is, dead cells change into new
ones, and its cell peeling rate is 9 times faster than the peeling rate in
humans.
Dolphin back:
The dolphin's back is characterized
by its gray color, while its abdomen and lower jaw appear white.This
distinctive color acts as a camouflage known as opposite shading, mixing from
above with dark depths، From
below, it blends with the bright surface of the sea, which provides it with
protection from predators and makes it easier for it to obtain its food.
Pectoral fins :
Dolphin
pectoral fins are similar to, but with some modifications, the main structural
elements of the forelimbs of land-dwelling mammals, as these fins have a strong
structure supported by connective muscle tissue، They are slightly curved back, have
an average length of between 30-50 cm, and use their fins to direct movement or
stop.
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dolphin
Dorsal fin :
The
dorsal fin is located in the middle of the dolphin's back.It is curved
backwards and consists of dense fibrous connective tissue.It does not have
bones, cartilage, or even muscles، But
there are arteries surrounded by blood veins to maintain the dolphin's body
temperature. Although it can be
considered important for maintaining balance when swimming, some dolphins do
not have it.
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dolphin
Head :
The
dolphin's forehead contains a circular area consisting of fatty tissue, which
is the part responsible for determining the location of the echo, and thus
determining the location of objects under the surface of the water while
swimming، Also located
in front of the circular area is an appendage about 7-8 cm long.
His teeth:
The dolphin is distinguished by its
conical and interlocking teeth, which total between 72-104.Distributed in the
upper and lower jaws, they are permanent teeth that cannot be replaced.Their
function is to hold food, not chew it، The
dolphin swallows its food directly without chewing.
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dolphin
His eyes:
His eyes are located on the sides of his head, near the corners of his mouth.Each eye can move separately from the other, and directly behind them are the ears in the form of small openings without an exoskeleton، As for breathing, the dolphin uses a special opening located on the dorsal surface of the head, covered with a muscle covering.
Behavioral characteristics of a
dolphin A dolphin is often an active organism, but this also depends on the
time, season, and physiological conditions of it،
Below is a breakdown of the behavioral characteristics of dolphins: Sleep behavior :
A
dolphin in the wild needs to remain alert during sleep in order to reach the
surface to breathe, so half of its brain is alert while the other half rests، Therefore, he sleeps only 4-60
minutes in short and sporadic periods during the day. But for dolphins that live in special ponds,
they sleep somewhat deeper, keeping their holes close to the surface to
breathe, without worrying about the presence of predators.
Migration behavior :
During
its migration, the dolphin moves alone or in groups from one region to another,
and usually moves in a straight direction above the surface of the water during
migration to provide the energy resulting from the friction of water with its
submerged body، Or to
better determine its destination, or to get rid of parasites in its skin, dolphins
usually gather to rest and breathe during migration.
dolphin
Feeding behaviour:
Dolphins feed alone or in groups to
cooperate in capturing large prey, which helps them conserve their energy more
and obtain suitable food at the same time، One of their strange and rare
practices is throwing food from their mouths with a cough-like behavior.
Dolphins' food varies depending on
the geographical location in which they live, as they eat fish and crustaceans
such as shrimp and squid.They are classified as predators, and they prefer some
types of fish over others.For example، Marine
dolphins eat fish and squid, while coastal dolphins prefer to eat fish and
benthic invertebrates.
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Emulator
Mating behavior :
Dolphins
are characterized as sexual and non-monosexual animals.One dolphin may meet
several partners during its life, and dolphins may become violent with other
dolphins during the mating period to obtain a partner، In addition to trying to perform
different rituals and fight with each other.
Male dolphins can also crowd in front
of females to prevent them from being fertilized by others in some cases, in
addition to luring female male dolphins by bringing gifts and singing، Displaying fitness through acrobatic
and erotic water movements. This often
occurs in less competitive groups, and dolphins are characterized by the fact
that they can mate at all times of the year, unlike other animals that mate
only during
the specific
mating season.
Dolphin
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Social behavior :
Dolphins are distinguished by their ability to communicate in the form of an underwater sonar that consists of whistling.Some of them may emit ultrasonic frequencies and humans cannot hear them؛ This makes the social behavior of dolphins among the most complex and advanced behaviors of the animal kingdom.
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