A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in one of the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae …

Jan 2, 2026 · Mammalian dolphins are any of the toothed whales belonging to the mammal family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins) or the mammal families Platanistidae and Iniidae (river …

However, dolphins are scientifically categorized as mammals, a distinction rooted in several fundamental biological characteristics. This classification clarifies why dolphins share more …

Nov 9, 2025 · Yes, dolphins are mammals. They breathe air, give birth to live young, and nurse their calves with milk, just like other mammals. Dolphins have adapted remarkably to marine …

Oct 16, 2020 · Yes, dolphins are mammals and not fish. Despite spending their lives almost completely underwater, and appearing in most ways like fish, they are actually mammals. …

Although dolphins swim in water and appear to be "fish-like" compared to other animals living in the ocean, they are classified as cetaceans (marine mammals) and not fish.

Feb 23, 2017 · Although a dolphin looks more like a fish than a ‘typical’ mammal such as a dog or a cat, it has all the characteristics of a mammal. These include: having lungs for breathing air, …

Nov 15, 2025 · Dolphins are mammals, but why do they look like fish? Explore the biological evidence and the concept of convergent evolution.

Sep 3, 2024 · Even though they live in the ocean, dolphins and whales, unlike sharks, are marine mammals, not fish. 1 They’re mammals because they breathe air through their lungs, and …

Jun 16, 2024 · Even though they live in the ocean all of the time, dolphins are mammals, not fish. Like every mammal, dolphins are warm blooded. Unlike fish, who breathe through gills, …