# Risso's dolphin (*Grampus griseus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/rissos-dolphin  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) is a mammal in the whales and dolphins group, belonging to the order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti and family Delphinidae. It is a marine, nocturnal carnivore in the giant size class, with an adult body mass of 387.5 kg and values from 342.5 kg to 460 kg. Its lifespan is 30 years, with values up to 42.5 years, and the IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Least Concern, not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 342.5 kg – 460 kg |
| Length | 3.05 m |
| Lifespan | 30 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 42.5 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 365 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.417 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Marine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Cetacea
- family: Delphinidae
- genus: Grampus
- species: *Grampus griseus* (G. Cuvier, 1812)

Synonyms: *Delphinus aires*, *Delphinus griseus*, *Delphinus griseus*, *Delphinus orca*, *Delphinus risso*, *Delphinus rissoanus*, *Delphinus rissoi*, *Globicephalus rissii*, *Globiocephalus chinensis*, *Gramphidelphis griseus*, *Grampidelphis exilis*, *Grampidelphis griseus*, *Grampidelphis kuzira*, *Grampus cuvieri*, *Grampus griseous*, *Grampus richardsoni*, *Grampus rissoanus*, *Grampus rissoanus*, *Grampus sakamata*, *Grampus sakata*, *Grampus soucerbianus*, *Grampus sowerbianus*, *Grampus stearnsii*, *Phocaena griseus*, *Phocaena rissonus*

## Common questions

### How heavy is a risso's dolphin?

An adult Risso's dolphin weighs 387.5 kg, with reported values from 342.5 kg to 460 kg.

### What does a risso's dolphin eat?

Risso's dolphin is a carnivore.

### Is Risso's dolphin endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List assesses Risso's dolphin globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a risso's dolphin live?

Risso's dolphin has a lifespan of 30 years, with values reported up to 42.5 years.

### What kind of animal is a risso's dolphin?

Risso's dolphin is a marine mammal in the whales and dolphins group, classified in the order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti and family Delphinidae.

### How many young does a risso's dolphin have?

A risso's dolphin has 1 young per litter, after a gestation period of 365.1 days (1 year).

### Who named Grampus griseus?

Grampus griseus was named by G. Cuvier in 1812, with the authority written as (G. Cuvier, 1812).

### When does a risso's dolphin reach sexual maturity?

Risso's dolphin reaches sexual maturity at 10 years (3,652 days).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/rissos-dolphin