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| Profile |
| Scientific
name: |
Tursiops truncatus |
| Common
name: |
Atlantic (or
Pacific) bottlenose dolphin, small gray dolphin, small black
dolphin, cow's horn, Cow's horn-shaped dolphin, Dark fish
wu, Da pa zhong (In Mandarin pronunciation), Big white-bellied
fish, Round-bodied fish |
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| Features: |
Bottlenose
dolphin calves are about 1-1.3m long, while adults can reach
1.9-3.8m in length. Males are larger than females and can
reach a maximum weight of 650kg. Bottlenose dolphins are sturdy
animals with short, rounded snouts. They have complex coloration,
varying from black to gray on the back and grayish-white to
pink on the belly, which is occasionally also covered with
spots. The size of Bottlenose dolphins varies greatly depending
on the waters in which they inhabit, so making clear classifications
of them is not easy. The most distinguishing characteristic
of the species is its dark dorsal fin.
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| Behavior:
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Bottlenose
dolphins are playful, curious animals that are fond of frolicking
in the water, such as beating the water's surface with their
tails, jumping out of the water, or performing other water
antics. A very adaptable animal, they are quite easy to train;
usually breed in the spring, summer, and autumn; and are opportunists,
eating almost everything they catch. Sometimes they feed alone,
while other times, they cooperate in pods to hunt, occasionally
trailing behind a fishing boat while searching for food. |
| Habitat:
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Bottlenose
dolphins are quite widespread, though their populations in
the waters of northern Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and
the Black Sea are dwindling. |
| Coastal
Areas>Fauna>Bottlenose
dolphin |
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