Burmeister's porpoise
A species of porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis) found in coastal waters of South America. The name is a taxonomic term; in everyday Japanese, it is rarely encountered outside of zoological contexts.
The Burmeister's porpoise is a small species of porpoise that inhabits the coasts of South America.
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be recognized by many readers; the katakana form is strongly preferred.
The Japanese name コハリイルカ is a direct translation of the English common name 'Burmeister's porpoise,' with イルカ meaning 'porpoise' or 'dolphin.' The specific epithet honors German zoologist Hermann Burmeister. The kanji 小針海豚 is a literal rendering (小針 'small needle' + 海豚 'dolphin'), but the exact derivation of 'small needle' is uncertain.