Tursiops aduncus
Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin | Indo-pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Similar Species
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Africa, Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Large inquisitive dolphin with a relatively short beak, hooked dorsal fin, curved mouth permanently shaped into a grin, grey back that grades to white belly; similar to closely-related Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose Dolphin) but can be distinguished by spotting on belly of mature individuals, proportionately longer snout, and smaller skull. Moves into estuaries more often than other dolphins, often in groups of 5-20 animals.
Information
Max Size: 400 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 16.4-22.6°C
Depth: 0-100m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Data Deficient
Occurrence: Infrequent (1.5% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Several (7 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney