Definition

Noun: 1. A species of dolphin: Grampus griseus is the scientific name for a specific type of dolphin, commonly known as the Risso's dolphin. It is characterized by a robust body, a blunt head with no distinct beak, and a tall, curved dorsal fin. Its skin is typically heavily scarred, which appears as a slate-grey or whitish coloration on adults.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Researchers identified the pod as Grampus griseus based on their distinctive dorsal fins and scarred bodies.
  • The Grampus griseus is known for its deep-diving capabilities to hunt squid.
  • Unlike the common bottlenose dolphin, Grampus griseus has a more rounded head.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific and technical contexts: The term is used almost exclusively in formal biological, zoological, and marine conservation texts to refer precisely to this species, avoiding the ambiguity of common names.
  • The study focused on the population genetics of Grampus griseus in the Mediterranean Sea.

Variants and Related Words

• Risso's dolphin: The common English name for .
• Grampus: A historical and sometimes ambiguous common name that can refer to this species or to other similar marine mammals like the orca (killer whale) in older texts. In modern scientific use, it is part of the genus name .
• Cetacean: The order of marine mammals that includes dolphins, whales, and porpoises, to which belongs.

Synonyms

• Risso's dolphin: The primary and unambiguous common name synonym.
• Grey grampus: A less common descriptive name.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Marine mammal: A broad category including .
• Odontocete / Toothed whale: The suborder of cetaceans characterized by having teeth, which includes this species.

Noun

1. slaty-grey blunt-nosed dolphin common in northern seas