Common Bottlenose Dolphin

The common bottlenose dolphin is a large robust dolphin with a short thick beak, curved mouthline and tall falcate dorsal fin. Colour is dark grey above and paler below. It is distinct from the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus, which also occurs in the region (NOAA Fisheries; Mammal Diversity Database).

It occupies both coastal and offshore waters across temperate and tropical oceans. Flexible social groups hunt fish, squid and crustaceans using pursuit, cooperative herding and locally learned techniques. Thai records must be identified carefully because the two Tursiops species overlap in general appearance (NOAA Fisheries; specialist taxonomy). No national category is stated because it is not listed under this name in Thailand Red Data 2025.