tucuxi; Sotalia fluviatilis
A species of dolphin found in the Amazon River and coastal waters of South America. The Japanese name literally means 'dwarf dolphin'.
The tucuxi inhabits the Amazon River.
イルカ is the general term for dolphin, while コビトイルカ refers specifically to the tucuxi species.
Standard katakana spelling for this animal name.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
Compound of 小人 (kobito, 'dwarf') and 海豚 (iruka, 'dolphin'), referring to its small size compared to other dolphins.