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What is the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise?

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The orca, or killer whale, for example, is actually the largest member of the dolphin family. Dolphins are by far more prevalent than porpoises. Most scientists agree that there are 32 dolphin species (plus five closely related species of river dolphin) and only six porpoise species. read more

Dolphins have a curved, or hooked, fin, while porpoises are equipped with a triangular one, NOAA says. "Generally speaking, dolphin bodies are leaner, and porpoises' are portly," according to NOAA. [Deep Divers: A Gallery of Dolphins] And dolphins take home the prize for the more gregarious of the cetacean groups. read more

However there are three main differences between dolphins and porpoises, that is, porpoises are divided in to six species and sub species, while dolphins are divided into 40 different main types, the average dolphin is generally longer than the average porpoise, and the most obvious visible difference between the two groups is that porpoises have flattened, spade-shaped teeth. read more

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