Dolphins
The majority of small tooth whales are called dolphins. They are mammals of the order Cetacea and the families Plantanistidae and Delphinidae and include about 50 species. All have a beak like snout and sharp, conical teeth. The term porpoise is sometimes applied to many of the same species, but porpoises, are members of the family Phocaenidae and have a blunt snout and spade or chisel shaped teeth. The dolphin fish, is neither a dolphin nor a porpoise. It is a sport fish related to the mackerels. Most dolphin species are about 6 feet in length, the males averaging 4 to 8 inch longer than females. The largest is the bottle-nose dolphin which can reach over 9 ft in length and weigh 220 kgs! The smallest species is the buffeo, found in the Amazon River. The buffeo rarely grows over 3.9 ft in length and 33 kgs in weight, really smelled compared to the bottle nose. Dolphins feed on live food and are predators, except when trained otherwise in captivity. The primary food is fish, mostly things like herring, mackerel, and sardines. Some species seem to prefer squid, occasionally, shrimp and other crustacean are consumed, and even mollusc shells have been found in their stomach contents.
