Bottlenose dolphin - Tursiops truncatus
Desricption:
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin, the scientifically best-studied and also the generally best-known of the dolphins. It is the most usual dolphin kept in zoos and marine aquaria worldwide.In nature, it occurs along almost all tropical and temperate coasts to about 40° latitude south and to 45° latitude north. Around the British Isles it occurs up to 60° latitude north. It is coastal in most areas, in groups of usually fewer than 20, but offshore varieties exist in many areas; and, in deep water, groups can be as large as 200.
Bottle-nosed dolphins are generally dark grey or black above, with a lighter belly. They have a prominent falcately curved dorsal fin with a thin trailing edge that readily becomes tattered and gives distinctive markings to individuals. Researchers have used this trait to identify and track individuals and groups.
Bottle-nosed dolphins are named for their snout, which is (as in many other dolphin species as well) distinctly set off from the head, like the neck of a beer bottle.
Size is very variable, from about 2 m (6.5 ft) up to a maximum of about 4 m (13 ft) for adults of different populations. In general, males are slightly larger than females of the same age, and cold water bottle-nosed dolphins are larger than their more warm temperate and tropical counterparts.
Environment:
World-wide, temperate and tropical oceansFood:
Bottle-nosed dolphins feed on many different prey, opportunistically taking shrimp, squid, other invertebrates, and fish.Problem:
The problem for the numbers of these dolphins are being caught in the nets of fishingboats. And many dolphins being caught to be put in marine parks for the entertainment
of people. Though many die under the stress of being held in a cement tank and forced
to do tricks.
Solution:
Dolphins are now protected by law. And dolphin pods near towns or cities are watched under the eye of "dolphin watches" and researchers.
Information provided by: http://members.optusnet.com.au.