Dolphin

Dolphins are available in almost every world after the first, but can't be found in Frigid worlds. They become available for purchase after researching Cetacean Awareness provided you have at least 10 fish and 50 sharks. Their description is "Pay a dolphin to help us catch fish. Prepare to put up with whining."

Career Path
Dolphin jobs become available after researching Delphine Philosophy. The positions are Dolphin Philosopher and Dolphin Treasurer. Treasurers produce crystal faster than any other position in the game, topped only by crystal miners. Philosopher is a research position.

Laboratory Research
There are 3 upgrades that can be researched that are specific to only dolphins, 1 generic upgrade that affects dolphin income, 3 upgrades to dolphin technology and 2 upgrades specific to all cetaceans. The research listed below is available in every world and has an effect on dolphins and their jobs: {| class="article-table" ! scope="col" |Upgrade ! scope="col" |Description ! scope="col" |Result ! scope="col" |Cost

Agriculture
The hunter-gatherer lifestyle will only work so well for us. Maybe we should gather these animals in one place and let them grow. Dolphin treasurer power x2 1K Sand The following research is available in every world besides Starter and Frigid: {| class="article-table" ! scope="col" |Upgrade ! scope="col" |Description ! scope="col" |Result ! scope="col" |Cost
 * Various roles are twice as effective thanks to farming regions for coral and sponge.
 * 500 Science
 * }

Aquamarine Fusion
Those uppity dolphins think they're the only ones who can make their special delphinium. We'll show them. Enables transmutation of a different bunch of junk into delphinium, a substance inherently inferior to sharkonium. Unlocks 1K Science
 * Fuse stuff into delphinium
 * Dolphin Technology (also requires Automation)

4K Crystals

4K Coral

Dolphin Technology
The warm-blooded squeakers have machinery that might be useful. Let's reverse-engineer it. We've reverse-engineered some dolphin machinery. We also, regretfully, learned what the designs are called. Unlocks 3K Science
 * Build silent archivist
 * Build tireless crafter

3K Delphinium

Imperial Designs
Some of the dolphins remember and have copies of plans for their machines from wherever they used to call home. Cetacean machines are all four times as effective. We begrudingly admit their quality is not entirely terrible. Tireless crafter power x4

Silent archivist power x4 1B Science

Cetacean Awareness
From a distance, it's harder to tell which of us are really sharks or... those other things. We need to figure this out. Whales and dolphins are twice as effective, now that we can adapt our hunting strategies to their supposed 'strengths'. Dolphin power x2

Whale power x2

Unlocks 2K Science
 * Fetch dolphin
 * Dolphin Biology
 * Aquamarine Fusion (also requires Transmutation)

500 Fish

Dolphin Biology
Do we really have to learn about this? We do? Alright, then. Dolphins are twice as effective but double a small number is still small. Also now they can make more dolphins. Hooray. Dolphin power x2

Unlocks 3K Science
 * Train dolphin biologist
 * Delphine Philosophy

1K Fish

Delphine Philosophy
The whales are known to be natural philosophers. The dolphins, not so much. Nonetheless, we need to appreciate their culture for them to pay attention to us. Dolphin biologists are twice as effective now that we don't keep openly mocking them. Also, dolphins are more comfortable in their former roles. Dolphin Biologist power x2

Unlocks 5K Science
 * Qualify dolphin philosopher
 * Promote dolphin treasurer
 * Coral Halls

1K Fish

Coral Halls
The demands don't stop! Now they want living spaces made of coral! Is this really necessary? Dolphins are happier and twice as effective. Philosophers and treasurers are also twice as effective. Everyone wins, and all it cost us was our dignity and resolve. Sigh. Dolphin power x2

Dolphin philosopher power x2

Dolphin treasurer power x2 10K Science

2K Coral

Primordial Song
Even the dolphins can remember an ancient song. The whales know more, but it stirs within both of them. Dolphins and whales, and their roles, are all four times as effective. The song of the ocean is older than life itself. Dolphin power x4

Dolphin biologist power x4

Dolphin treasurer power x4

Dolphin philospher power x4 10B Science
 * }

Story
Warning: This section includes speculation, as canon answers don't yet exist. The dolphin pods that work with us speak of an star-spanning empire of their kind. They ask where our empire is. And they smile. (Fetch 5 dolphins)

Assuming they aren't liars as well as braggarts, the dolphins are one of the most advanced species in the game. They've developed technology capable of research, which is more than the sharks have been able to manage. They've also mastered intergalactic travel, built an empire, and discovered a method of transportation similar to the Gateway. All of these incredible accomplishments are in the past, though, as an unknown threat toppled their empire and forced them into strange worlds.

Although dolphins and sharks are natural enemies their technologies are roughly the same according to the log. It's clear though that the dolphins have more of an eye to design, as the log mentions the elaborate structures and complexity. That complexity seems to extend to their architecture, as the research required to make their living spaces refers to halls.

Unfortunately they do appear to be unnecessarily smug.

Trivia
There is a large variety of animals defined as 'dolphins'. The taxonomic family Delphinidae refers only to oceanic dolphins. There are 4 families of river dolphins, and 6 species of oceanic dolphin that are more commonly refered to as whales or "blackfish". These 6 species are the melon-headed whale, killer whale (or orca), pygmy killer whale (which is one of the species listed above), false killer whale, long-finned pilot whale and short-finned pilot whale (the latter 2 of which are also listed above).

The references to Dolphins having an an intergalactic empire and the description of the Dolphin Migrator artifact are references to Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". In the book, the Dolphins were secretly an advanced race who was capable of leaving Earth under their own power just before it was destroyed by the Vogons.