spinner dolphin
A species of dolphin known for its acrobatic spinning leaps; scientific name Stenella longirostris.
The spinner dolphin is known for leaping high out of the water and spinning.
Hiragana spelling is also used, but katakana is more common for animal names.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in older or specialized texts; the reading is not obvious from the characters.
Compound of 嘴長 (はしなが, 'long beak') + 海豚 (いるか, 'dolphin'), referring to the dolphin's long snout.