throat, pharynx(noun) the passage to the stomach and lungs; in the front part of the neck below the chin and above the collarbone. throat(noun) an opening in the vamp of a shoe at the instep. throat(noun) a passage resembling a throat in shape or function.
One of the best examples is the difference between a dolphinfish and a dolphin. Dolphins are mammals and breathe air with lungs just like humans. There are many different dolphins species, including endangered river species, but all of them are in the same animal family (Delphinidae).
There are almost forty different species of dolphins with the killer whale being the largest. The bottlenose dolphin is the species of Flipper fame that we are most familiar with, and the species that is regularly referred to as simply dolphin. The term dolphin is not synonymous with porpoise. Porpoises are six species within the dolphin family differentiated by their flat teeth. So, simply put, all porpoises are dolphins, but not all dolphins are porpoises. The bottlenose is not a porpoise. Dolphins live in groups of 5 to 15 individuals called pods.