Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Tursiops
Species: Tursiops truncatus

The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a large, robust dolphin with a short, stubby beak, a tall curved dorsal fin and a plain grey body that fades to a paler belly. Offshore adults can exceed 3 m.

Bottlenose dolphins are highly adaptable and opportunistic feeders, taking fish, squid and crustaceans with a range of cooperative and individual hunting techniques. Groups are usually small but can merge into larger aggregations offshore.

In the Philippines the common bottlenose dolphin is mostly found in deeper offshore waters, while its smaller relative, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, favours coastal areas. It has been recorded in the Bohol Sea, Tañon Strait and Sulu Sea.

Photo: Dean Hester, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist