The Bottle Nose Dolphin

Bottle Nose Dolphin

(Tursiops truncatus)

Domain-Eukarya                   Kingdom-Animalia Phylum-Chordata                   Class-Mammalia Order-Cetacea Family-Delphinidae Genus-Tursiops                               Species-truncatus

The Bottle Nose Dolphin is found in temperate, tropical waters in the U.S., UK, English Channel, Eastern Scotland, and Ireland.  The Bottle Nose Dolphin has Bilateral symmetry   meaning if you drew a line down the center and folded the ends together they would match up.  The Bottle Nose Dolphin has a medium sized dorsal fin, curving and coming to a point, a type of skin called counter shading (will learn more about later on), and  a blowhole on their topside to breathe when above the surface.  3 adaptations the Bottle Nose Dolphin has is the type of skin called counter shading which is protective coloration which allows predators when looking up at the dolphin cannot see them because the white stomach is similar to the sun above the surface, and when a predator is above the dolphin, all it sees is the grey color of the dolphin which is similar to the color of the water below; this adaptation is structural.  Another structural adaptation for this organism is their cone shaped teeth, used for echolocation, allowing them to speak with other Bottle Nose.  Another adaptation is when they sleep, they turn off half of their brain when sleeping so they remember to surface to get air which is a structural adaptation.  An interesting fact about the Bottle Nose Dolphin is on the blowhole, there is a muscular flap that seals when under water so water does not get into the dolphin’s lungs.  Predators of the Bottle Nose Dolphin include Bull sharks, Tiger sharks, Great Whites, and the Dusky shark.  The Bottle nose Dolphin diet consists of the occasional squid, crabs, shrimp, small fish, and other small sea creatures.  The Bottle Nose Dolphin is a heterotroph meaning it feeds on other living organisms and this organism is endothermic.