also: はんどういるか
noun
bottlenose dolphin
Refers to the species Tursiops truncatus, commonly known as the bottlenose dolphin. Usually written in katakana.
水族館でバンドウイルカのショーを見た。
I saw a bottlenose dolphin show at the aquarium.
Katakana spelling is standard for this animal name; usually written in kana.
Alternate katakana spelling with the reading はんどういるか.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in practice.
イルカ is the general term for dolphin; バンドウイルカ specifies the bottlenose dolphin species.
The name likely derives from 半道 (はんどう), an old term for a half-length road or measure, possibly referring to the dolphin's size or shape, but the exact origin is uncertain.