Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphin
Scientific name: Tursiops truncates
Local name: Black porpoise
Length: 2.5 to 4 meters (8-13 feet)

Distinctive Markings

Head: short, stubby beak; lower jaw sticks out farther than upper jaw; crease where forehead and snout meet.
Teeth: 18-26 in each row
Dorsal Fin: tall and very curved; located slightly behind mid-body.
Body: stocky; dark gray above, lighter gray on belly; pattern often indistinct.
Behavior: Bottlenose dolphins commonly travel in small groups of between 2-25, often shoreward of 10 fathom line, also seen offshore.
may be confused with Rough-toothed dolphins, (Steno bredanensis) that are are smaller, brownish but with no crease in forehead.

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