Made famous by the television show Flipper, the Bottlenose Dolphin is a large, robust animal with a slightly hooked broad dorsal fin. Size and some physical characteristics vary according to the distribution of each individual. In smaller forms, the well-known bottle-shaped beak is shorter and slender. It broadens as the body size increases. In some populations the melon is more rounded. Body colour also varies; the dorsal cape ranges from dark blue to brown-grey, fading to a pale grey along the flanks. The ventral surface is white-pink, and the tip of the snout is normally white. Tail flukes and the flippers' edges are grey-black. Dark lines from melon to eye and eye to flipper can also be seen. Some populations are spotted, or a dark grey-black. The Bottlenose Dolphin measures between 1.9m and 4m, weighing 90-650kg.
Habitat: Bottlenose Dolphins are both a coastal and oceanic species. The habitats they occupy is diverse, ranging from rocky reefs to calm lagoons and open waters.
Food & Feeding: Bottlenose Dolphins tend to prefer shoaling and bottom-dwelling species, feasting upon a wide variety of fish, squid and octopus. Cuttlefish are also taken.
Behaviour: Bottlenose Dolphins have been reported individually, in groups of between 10-100. They are powerful swimmers and acrobatic in nature. Longevity: At least 30 years (approximately).