1. Breathing:
* Dolphins and whales: Breathe air through lungs and must surface regularly.
* Fish: Breathe underwater through gills, extracting oxygen from the water.
2. Body Temperature:
* Dolphins and whales: Warm-blooded, maintaining a constant body temperature.
* Fish: Cold-blooded, their body temperature fluctuates with the surrounding water.
3. Reproduction:
* Dolphins and whales: Give birth to live young and nurse them with milk.
* Fish: Lay eggs.
4. Skin:
* Dolphins and whales: Have smooth, hairless skin.
* Fish: Have scales, which are protective coverings.
5. Skeleton:
* Dolphins and whales: Have a bony skeleton.
* Fish: Have a bony or cartilaginous skeleton.
6. Tail:
* Dolphins and whales: Have a horizontal tail fin for propulsion.
* Fish: Have a vertical tail fin for propulsion.
7. Limbs:
* Dolphins and whales: Have flippers, which are modified limbs.
* Fish: Have fins.
8. Social Behavior:
* Dolphins and whales: Highly social animals, living in pods and communicating through complex vocalizations.
* Fish: Can be social, but generally less complex than marine mammals.
In summary, dolphins and whales are mammals adapted for life in the water, while fish are a separate class of aquatic animals with distinct adaptations.