Short-Beaked Common Dolphin
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin
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マイルカ | |||
Character Data | |||
AKA | Malka
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Romaji | Mairuka
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Debut | Kemono Friends (2015 Game) | ||
Animal Data | |||
Scientific Name | Delphinus delphis
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Distribution | Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southeast Indian Ocean
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Diet | Carnivore
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Avg. Lifespan | 35 years
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Read More | Short-beaked common dolphin
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Conservation | |||
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin | Anime | Season 2 | Festival | Pavilion | KF3 (V2) | Kingdom | Nexon Game | Gallery |
The Short-Beaked Common Dolphin is a type of Friend that first appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.
Appearance
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin has short dark gray hair that fades to white and then sky blue towards the bottom, with a few particles scattered across the lowermost section. She has dark gray eyes that end in a small gradient with sky blue particles on the bottom, presenting a wavy yellow and white line in the middle. This particular feature is shared with other Cetacean Friends, as well as other animal parts such as a dorsal fin at the top of her head, a pair of flippers on the side, a spot in the shape of a blow hole and a big animal tail that has a white streak on the middle. She wears a one piece blue dress with a sailor collar and a yellow ribbon tie, with a layer of white cloth at the bottom that shows a sky blue shine similar to the one on her hair. She complements her attire with an armband with three distinctive colors, those being white, yellow and blue, and black ballerina shoes with a black ribbon on top.
Series Appearances
Media | Role | First Appearance | |
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2015 | Nexon Game | ↪ Minor character, obtainable | |
2017 | Kemono Friends (2017 Anime) | ↪ Cameo | S1E12: Amusement Park |
2018 | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ↪ Minor character, observable | |
2018 | Kemono Friends Festival | ↪ Minor character, obtainable | |
2018 | Kemono Friends Picross | Playable puzzle | |
2019 | Chokotto Anime Kemono Friends 3 | Major character | CAKF3E025 |
2019 | Kemono Friends 3 | ↪ Major character with multiple obtainable versions | |
2022 | Kemono Friends Kingdom | ↪ Minor character, obtainable |
In Real Life
The short-beaked common dolphin is one of the most abundant species of dolphin. They are found in the Pacific, Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea; they prefer to stay relatively close to the shores. Their prey consists of squids and small schooling fish.
Dolphins are very social and playful animals, they travel in pods of 20 to 60 animals which can merge into so-called mega-pods consisting of thousands of specimen. They mix with other species of dolphin and even hunt together with yellowfin tuna, sea birds and humans. They are often seen jumping or even somersaulting out of the water and bow-riding the wave created by large moving ships and whales. Dolphins have been observed randomly swapping to different boats while bow-riding to go to random different directions, suggesting they often do it for fun.
Breeding season is usually between June and September. After a gestation period of around 11 months, a single calf is born. The calf will stay close to its mother to learn feeding and social behavior for around 3-4 years and their coloration will become bolder and more distinct as they age. They start learning to hunt when they're around 6 months old and may take months to learn how to swim properly, often following their mother closely to use the slipstream.
Human fishing is a threat to the dolphins as they are often caught as bycatch and the population of their prey is significantly decreased. Especially younger ones are often killed in collisions with ships. Pollution may also be the cause of many deaths of dolphins. Dolphins have been observed heavily grieving the death of another specimen, especially their calves. While the species itself is healthy and considered to be of least concern, the populations in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea are classified as endangered and vulnerable respectively.