short-finned pilot whale
Scientific name: Globicephala macrorhynchus. A species of oceanic dolphin.
Short-finned pilot whales inhabit warm seas.
I saw a short-finned pilot whale at the aquarium.
ゴンドウクジラ is a broader term for pilot whales in general, while コビレゴンドウ specifically refers to the short-finned species.
Standard katakana spelling for this animal name.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
The name combines 小 (ko, 'small') + 鰭 (hire, 'fin') + 巨頭 (gondō, 'pilot whale'), referring to the short pectoral fins of this species. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.