Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops aduncus
Some individuals in Shark Bay, Australia, use sea sponges as tools, wearing them on their beaks to protect against abrasions while foraging on the seafloor.
- Scientific name
- Tursiops aduncus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Artiodactyla › Delphinidae › Tursiops
- IUCN Red List status
- Near Threatened
- Population trend
- unknown
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and near-shore coral reefs.
- Diet
- Diverse diet of coastal fish, squid, and occasionally crustaceans.
- Range
- Indian Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, Northern Australia, East Africa
- Size
- 2.0 to 2.7 meters long; weight up to 230 kg.
- Lifespan
- 40 to 50 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Entanglement in fishing gear (bycatch), habitat degradation, and acoustic pollution from shipping.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but powerful. Maintain a distance of 50 meters and never attempt to feed them, as it creates dangerous dependencies. If they approach while you are swimming, stay calm and do not touch; if bitten or struck, seek medical attention for potential infection or internal bruising.
The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops aduncus ) is a species of bottlenose dolphin. This dolphin grows to 2.6 m (8.5 ft) long, and weighs up to 230 kg (510 lb). It lives in the waters around India, northern Australia, South China, the Red Sea, and the eastern coast of Africa. Its back is dark grey and its belly is lighter grey or nearly white with grey spots.
Photo: טל שמע, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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