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Common bottlenose dolphin
Meet the common bottlenose dolphin: a marine mammal that finds food using sound, lives in coastal and offshore waters, and faces different pressures in different populations.
Discover the expedition atlasQuestions, adaptations and evidence
Meet the common bottlenose dolphin: a marine mammal that finds food using sound, lives in coastal and offshore waters, and faces different pressures in different populations.
Start with the questions below, follow the linked evidence, then try the discovery challenge with someone else.
Questions worth exploring
DodoHistory field notes · Sources checked
Is a bottlenose dolphin a fish?
It is a mammal. Mothers give birth to calves and feed them milk. A streamlined body helps it move through water, but a similar silhouette does not make a dolphin and a shark close relatives.
NOAA Fisheries · Common bottlenose dolphin ↗Where do common bottlenose dolphins live?
They inhabit temperate and tropical seas, from bays and estuaries to offshore waters. An estuary is where a river meets the sea. A coastal population and an offshore population can use quite different habitats.
NOAA Fisheries · Common bottlenose dolphin ↗What do bottlenose dolphins eat?
Fish, squid and crustaceans are among their prey. They can hunt alone or cooperate, and use listening and echolocation to locate food. Their teeth grip fish rather than chewing them.
NOAA Fisheries · Common bottlenose dolphin ↗Why does conservation depend on the population?
Different populations face different pressures. Fishing gear, vessel strikes, pollution and underwater noise can harm dolphins. Feeding wild dolphins can change their behavior and bring them closer to boats and fishing gear.
NOAA Fisheries · Common bottlenose dolphin ↗
