In addition to using their eyesight to locate potential prey they also use echolocation to find food, coordinate attacks and travel through dark areas. While the common bottlenose dolphins is known for having teeth these dolphins swallow their food whole instead of chewing them. Working together these dolphins will first group schools of fish into small balls and then take turns darting in to catch them. Their typical diet includes consuming prey such as fish, eel, shrimp and other crustaceans and squid. The common bottlenose dolphin often hunts for its prey in groups, however they are also able to search for food alone. They also have a beak and large dorsal fin located half way down its back. The common bottlenose dolphins can reach speeds in excess of 18 miles per hour and have sleek streamlined bodies designed for fast swimming and quick movement. Larger dolphins can weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds while smaller dolphins may only weigh around 400 pounds. with males typically being larger than their female counter parts. The average length of these dolphins varies between 6 1/2 ft. Physical CharacteristicsĬommon bottlenose dolphins are a light or dark grey color. Their high level of intelligence, ability to learn and perform complex tasks combined with an outgoing nature have made them very popular among people. They are very social creatures and will often approach humans out of curiosity. These marine mammals are one of the most well-known species of dolphin in existence. The common bottlenose dolphin also referred to simply as “the bottlenose dolphin” belongs to the group commonly known as Cetacea which also includes whales and porpoises.

Common bottlenose dolphin