Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Class Information
Class	Mammalia
Order Information
Order	Cetacea
Family Information
Family	Delphinidae
Genus Information
Genus	Tursiops
Species Information
Species	T. aduncus T. australis T. truncatus
Population statistics

The bottlnose dolphin is three species of the genus Tursiops, found in warm to temperate waters worldwide, and perhaps the most well-known species of cetacean, due in large part to their unmatched range and widespread use in theme parks, television, and film.

Description

Bottlenose dolphins can reach a length of 13 feet, and weigh up to 660 pounds. Females are slightly smaller than males. They are largely a monochrome gray to blue-gray in color, with the ventral side usually lighter. The beak (snout) is shorter in relation to the length of the head than in the Delphinus and Stenella species; when closed, the mouth gives an affectionate, "smiling" appearance. The melon is well defined and set off from the muzzle by a fold. The fin is large and sickle-shaped.

Species

• Burrunan dolphin, Tursiops australis
• Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
• Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus

Range

The bottlenose dolphin inhabits the tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of all oceans and is also found in the North Sea and the Mediterranean. T. aduncus, on the other hand, is mainly found in Indo-Pacific tropical coastal waters above the continental shelf, from the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa across the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific. T. australis has a very small range on the coast and in lagoons in the Australian state of Victoria.