Common Bottle-Nose Dolphin

 

 

Characteristics

The Bottlenose Dolphin is between 2 to 4 metres in size as a full-grown adult. Juveniles are usually 1 metre in size. Full grown males are longer than females and slightly heavier. The Bottlenose Dolphin can be distinguished by its colour grey. They have dark grey on the upper part of the body which then fades into a lighter grey on the bottom. They have no patterns.

 

Behaviour

Common Bottlenose Dolphins usually swim in groups of 2 to 15. Mother to calf bond is very strong; a calf usually stays with its mother for 3 to 6 years. A female may return to its mother or female relatives to raise its own calves, forming a multigenerational group.

 

Distribution

The Common Bottlenose Dolphin can be found in  a variety of habitats, from coastal waters to open ocean, coastal and continental shelf waters in tropical and temperate zones, such as the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, river mouths, lagoons, shallow bays, and the North Sea. It is found right around the coast of Australia. 

 

Food Webs

The Common Bottlenose Dolphin is a consumer. Its predators include Tiger Shark, Bull Shark, Humans and Great White Shark. It is both a predator and a prey. It preys on small fish species, squid and shrimp. Common Bottlenose Dolphins compete with their own species. They compete for resources such as female attention and human competitors for fish resources.

 

Management

It is classed as of Least Concern.