Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
UncommonDelphinidaeHarmless
ID points
- Short thick bottle-shaped snout, with a crease where it meets the forehead
- Tall sickle-shaped dorsal fin set at the middle of the back
- Dark grey above, fading to nearly white below
Basics
- Family
- Delphinidae
- Length
- 2.0–4.0 m
- Depth
- 0-300 m
- Regions
- Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Open ocean
- Distribution
- Coastal and offshore waters of warm seas worldwide
- Habitat
- Warm coastal and offshore waters
- Diet
- Fish, cephalopods
Easily confused with
Common DolphinAn hourglass patch of cream and pale grey on the flank
False Killer WhaleEntirely black, with a conical head and no beak
Chinese White DolphinAdults pinkish white, calves dark grey, paling with ageFun fact
The Bottlenose Dolphin will carry a sponge on its snout to protect it while foraging over the sea floor, which makes it one of the very few non-human animals known to use tools.