Sea Life

What is a Dolphin? Is it a Fish?

What is a DolphinIs it a Fish

A dolphin is a mammal that lives in water and it belongs to the order or family “Cetacea” which refers to “large sea creature”. Interestingly, dolphins are considered intelligent animals by many scientists. It has also been claimed that dolphins have this rare ability to recognize themselves in the mirror as many other sea creatures lack this ability. 

As dolphins somehow look like fish and also live in water, the majority of people know dolphins as a type of fish. But, is it true that dolphins fall in the category of fish?

The answer is “NO”. A dolphin is a mammal and not a fish. so, dolphins can more likely be called an animal rather than fish. Living in the water, a dolphin survives by eating a variety of fish, squid, jellyfish, squid, and octopuses.

Is Dolphin Related to Dolphin Fish?

Because of the similarity in the names, people often confuse dolphin with dolphin fish which is also called “mahi mahi“. But, the dolphins are in no sense related to the dolphin fish. A dolphin fish is a type of fish but as described earlier, a dolphin is a mammal and not a fish.

How is Dolphin Different from Fish?

There are many differences in the existence and nature of fish and dolphin that differentiates them from each other:

  • Fish breathe through gills but dolphins have lungs like all other mammals through which they breathe.
  • Dolphins cannot stay in the water all the time, unlike fish. The dolphins come to the top and escape from the water to breathe.
  • Fish lay eggs to reproduce while dolphins give birth rather than laying eggs. Moreover, they also feed their babies milk.

Interesting Facts About Dolphins

It may be surprising but there are many claims that dolphins have been saving human lives from sharks. Moreover, they also guide boats and help to drown sailors. But, there are also many solid claims that dolphins have also been harming human beings. They have been attacking humans and attempting to drown and bite humans. 

Dolphins like to blow bubbles especially while hunting their prey. They sometimes use a technique called fish-whacking to hunt their prey in which they hit the fish through their tail. Also, dolphins are chatty animals and they can make a variety of sounds to communicate things like whistles, squeaks, moans, barks, yelps, etc.

The Bottom-Line

A dolphin is a sea animal that lives in the water but has all the traits of a mammal. So, a dolphin is in no sense a fish but is a mammal. It has many traits that differentiate it from fish like giving birth, breathing air through the lungs, and feeding milk. These traits are completely opposite in the case of fish. The above explanation gives detailed information on how dolphins are different from fish. 

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Talha