dolphin v. porpoise

Image courtesy of MikeNish.com

• Dolphins fall into 2 families: Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins), and Platanistoidea (river dolphins). Porpoises belong to the Phocoenidae family.
• Porpoises are smaller and stouter than dolphins.
• Dolphins have long beaks; porpoises have blunt noses.
• Dolphins have conical teeth; porpoises have spade-shaped teeth.
• Dolphins have a fatty structure in their foreheads that’s used in echolocation. This organ, called the melon, is largely absent in porpoises.
• Porpoises have approximately triangular dorsal fins; dolphin dorsal fins have a more pronounced curve.
• Dolphins live longer than porpoises.
• Dolphins are more extroverted and acrobatic than porpoises.
• Porpoises reproduce more quickly than dolphins.

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