Shark vs. Dolphin — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 28, 2023
A shark is a carnivorous fish with cartilaginous skeletons, while a dolphin is a highly intelligent marine mammal known for its social behavior and playful nature.
Difference Between Shark and Dolphin
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Shark is a type of fish characterized by its cartilaginous skeleton, streamlined body, and sharp teeth. Dolphin, on the other hand, is a marine mammal known for its intelligence, social behavior, and playful nature.
Sharks are known for their keen sense of smell, powerful jaws, and ability to hunt effectively in the marine environment. They play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems. Dolphins are known for their strong sense of communication, using clicks and whistles to communicate with each other. They are often seen leaping out of the water, riding waves, and interacting with boats.
In summary, sharks are carnivorous fish with cartilaginous skeletons, while dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals known for their social behavior and playfulness.
Comparison Chart
Classification
Carnivorous fish
Marine mammal
Skeleton
Cartilaginous
Mammalian (bones)
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Body Shape
Streamlined and sharp-toothed
Streamlined with flippers and dorsal fin
Intelligence
Predatory and less interactive
Highly intelligent, social, and playful
Role in Ecosystem
Apex predator in marine food chain
Interacts with various species, not predatory
Compare with Definitions
Shark
A shark is a carnivorous fish with sharp teeth.
The great white shark is a formidable predator.
Dolphin
Dolphins are known for their social behavior.
Dolphins often travel in groups called pods.
Shark
Sharks occupy the top of the marine food chain.
Sharks play a vital role in ocean ecosystems.
Dolphin
They use clicks and whistles for communication.
Dolphins' intricate communication is a subject of study.
Shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii) and are the sister group to the rays.
Dolphin
Dolphins exhibit playful behaviors like leaping and riding waves.
Dolphins are known for their playful antics.
Shark
Any of numerous cartilaginous fishes of the subclass Elasmobranchii that are chiefly carnivorous and marine. Sharks have a streamlined torpedolike body, five to seven gill openings on each side of the head, a large oil-filled liver, and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales.
Dolphin
Dolphins give birth to live young and are warm-blooded animals.
Dolphins' warm-blooded nature helps them thrive in the ocean.
Shark
(Informal)A person, such as a loan shark, who takes advantage of the misfortune of others for personal gain.
Dolphin
Dolphin is the common name of aquatic mammals within the infraorder Cetacea. The term dolphin usually refers to the extant families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), named Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), and Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and the extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin).
Shark
(Informal)A person unusually skilled in a particular activity
A card shark.
Dolphin
Any of various marine toothed whales of the family Delphinidae, having a beaklike snout, a curved dorsal fin, and a slender streamlined body.
Shark
To obtain by deceitful or underhand means.
Dolphin
Any of several toothed whales inhabiting rivers and estuaries in South America and South Asia, having a long narrow beak, broad flippers, a flexible neck, and usually a reduced dorsal fin. A species native to the Yangtze River is thought to be extinct. Also called river dolphin.
Shark
To take advantage of others for personal gain, especially by fraud and trickery.
Dolphin
See dolphinfish.
Shark
(ichthyology) A scaleless, predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head.
Dolphin
See pompano dolphinfish.
Shark
The noctuid moth Cucullia umbratica.
Dolphin
A buoy, pile, or group of piles used for mooring boats.
Shark
A university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people.
Dolphin
A group of piles used as a fender, as at a dock or around a bridge pier.
Shark
Someone who exploits others, for example by trickery, lies, usury, extortion.
Dolphin
A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of order Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.
Shark
A sleazy and amoral lawyer.
Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus, (Atlantic bottlenose dolphin) the most well-known species.
Shark
An ambulance chaser.
Dolphin
A fish, the mahi-mahi or dorado, Coryphaena hippurus, with a dorsal fin that runs the length of the body, also known for iridescent coloration.
Shark
(informal) A relentless and resolute person or group, especially in business.
Dolphin
(heraldry) A depiction of a fish, with a broad indented fin, usually embowed.
Shark
(informal) A very good poker or pool player. Compare fish (a bad poker player).
Dolphin
The dauphin, eldest son of the kings of France.
Shark
A person who feigns ineptitude to win money from others.
Dolphin
(history) A mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm, in readiness to be dropped through the deck and the hull of an enemy's vessel to sink it.
Shark
(rare) To fish for sharks.
Dolphin
(nautical) A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
Shark
Of a university student who is not a fresher, to engage in sexual activity with a fresher, or to be at a bar or club with the general intention of engaging in such activity.
Dolphin
(nautical) A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.
Shark
(obsolete) To steal or obtain through fraud.
Dolphin
(nautical) A mooring post on a wharf or beach.
Shark
To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle.
Dolphin
(nautical) A permanent fender designed to protect a heavy boat or coastal structure from the impact of large floating objects such as ice or floating logs.
Shark
To live by shifts and stratagems.
Dolphin
One of the handles above the trunnions by which a gun was lifted.
Shark
(obsolete) To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly.
Dolphin
(nautical) A man-made semi submerged maritime structure, usually installed to provide a fixed structure for temporary mooring, to prevent ships from drifting to shallow water or to serve as base for navigational aids.
Shark
Any one of numerous species of elasmobranch fishes of the order Plagiostomi, found in all seas.
Dolphin
A cetacean of the genus Delphinus and allied genera (esp. Delphinus delphis); the true dolphin.
Shark
A rapacious, artful person; a sharper.
Dolphin
The Coryphæna hippuris, a fish of about five feet in length, celebrated for its surprising changes of color when dying. It is the fish commonly known as the dolphin. The term is also applied to the related Coryphaena equisetis. Called also dolphinfish and (especially in Hawaii) mahimahi. See also dolphinfish and Coryphænoid.
Shark
Trickery; fraud; petty rapine; as, to live upon the shark.
Dolphin
A mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm, in readiness to be dropped on the deck of an enemy's vessel.
Shark
To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly.
Dolphin
A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
Shark
To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle.
Neither sharks for a cup or a reckoning.
Dolphin
In old ordnance, one of the handles above the trunnions by which a cannon was lifted.
Shark
To live by shifts and stratagems.
Dolphin
Large slender food and game fish widely distributed in warm seas (especially around Hawaii)
Shark
Any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales
Dolphin
Any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises
Shark
A person who is ruthless and greedy and dishonest
Dolphin
Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals.
Bottlenose dolphins are a well-known species.
Shark
A person who is unusually skilled in certain ways;
A card shark
Shark
Play the shark; act with trickery
Shark
Hunt shark
Shark
Sharks have cartilaginous skeletons and excel in hunting.
Sharks are ancient creatures with unique adaptations.
Shark
Their streamlined bodies enable efficient swimming.
Sharks' sleek bodies allow them to glide effortlessly.
Shark
There are various shark species, each with distinct features.
Tiger sharks are known for their distinctive stripes.
Common Curiosities
What is the largest species of shark?
The largest shark species is the whale shark, known for its enormous size.
What is a shark?
A shark is a carnivorous fish with a cartilaginous skeleton, known for its sharp teeth and predatory nature.
How do sharks differ from other fish?
Sharks have cartilaginous skeletons, streamlined bodies, and are highly adapted to ocean life.
What is the role of sharks in the ocean ecosystem?
Sharks are apex predators that help regulate marine food chains by controlling populations of prey species.
What is a dolphin?
A dolphin is a highly intelligent marine mammal known for its social behavior, communication skills, and playfulness.
How do dolphins interact with humans?
Dolphins are often observed interacting with boats, riding waves, and engaging in playful behavior near humans.
What is the purpose of dolphins' clicks and whistles?
Dolphins use clicks and whistles for communication, navigation, and locating prey.
Are all sharks dangerous to humans?
No, while some shark species are potentially dangerous, most sharks do not pose a threat to humans.
Do dolphins have bones or cartilage in their bodies?
Dolphins have bones, not cartilage, in their bodies, which sets them apart from sharks.
What is the significance of dolphins in marine ecosystems?
Dolphins play a role in marine ecosystems by contributing to nutrient cycling and influencing prey populations.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
