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photos of bottlenose
dolphins
To see more bottlenose dolphin
pictures, click here
|
playful bottlenose dolphin with mouth open underwater photograph |
two bottlenose dolphins jumping picture |
silhouette hires photo of bottlenose dolphins leaping at
sunset |
bottlenose dolphin stock photo available
for advertising and editorial use |
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common
name |
Bottlenose
Dolphin |
| scientific
name |
Tursiops
truncatus |
| range |
Worldwide,
tropical to cool temperate seas |
viewing
hotspots |
many |
| habitat |
Coastal,
open ocean |
| size |
To
12 feet (4m), 1200 pounds (550kg) |
| diet |
Fish, squid,
invertebrates |
| trivia |
Flipper
species; 40-50 year life span; 2 varities (smaller inshore form, and
larger offshore) |
|
Featured in
art both ancient and modern, films, TV, and in aquarium shows
worldwide, the Bottlenose Dolphin is likely the species most
familiar to people. It is larger and more powerfully built than many
other members of the family Delphinidae, but size, shape and color
vary widely on an individual basis and according to location. It has
adapted to an amazingly wide range of habitats including coastal
reefs, bays, estuaries, river mouths, and open ocean atolls around
the world from nearly 60 degrees North to 50 degrees South latitude.
Tursiops truncatus is obviously an
acrobatic species capable of powerful jumps, often curious towards
people, and a regular bow-rider of boats. Most are varying shades of
gray, with a stout broad beak and prominent dorsal fin. Males are
larger than females. Studied carefully both in captivity and the
wild, we know more about the reproductive biology of this species
than that of most other oceanic dolphins. Gestation lasts nearly a
year, 3-4’ long calves are born year round, and young are not
fully weaned until 18 or 20 months old.
Depending on location, diet varies
considerably, and some populations of Bottlenose Dolphins have
developed special feeding behaviors: sometimes cooperating with,
sometimes stealing from, commercial fishermen; chasing fish up onto
shore; hunting deepsea fish to 1500 feet deep.
Overall, the general outlook for this
species is relatively positive, though certain local populations
face problems with pollution, hunting (thousands are still killed
each year for food or bait), habitat loss, gillnet entanglement, and
food depletion.
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| KEYWORDS
bottlenose dolphin, bottlenose dolphins, bottlenose, dolphin, dolphins,
Tursiops truncatus, cetacean, cetaceans, marine mammal, marine mammals,
delphinidae, jumping, breaching, acrobatic, sunset, underwater, photos, photograph, photographs, picture, pictures, stock, photography,
marine |
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