Scientific Classification of a Bottlenose Dolphin

The bottlenose dolphin is one of the most recognizable species commonly seen performing at aquariums or as part of programs where people can swim with dolphins. In the most basic scientific classifications, the species is a vertebrate, meaning it has a spinal column. It is also classed as a mammal, which means it has three specific traits: some form of hair, three inner ear bones and it produces milk for its young.

  1. Tursiops Genus

    • The bottlenose dolphin belongs to the scientific genus tursiops along with just one other species, the Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin. Both species are almost identical with the Indo-pacific variety being rarer and confined to the oceans around India, southeast Asia and Australia.

    Delphinidae Family

    • The bottlenose dolphin's scientific family is called delphinidae and consists of 32 different species. The members of this family tend to be small to medium in size with the largest being the killer whale. Most dolphins have a pronounced beak with a slightly bulbous forehead, which is indeed the case with the bottlenose. Body shape for most species is streamlined so that the animal can swim at high speeds. The dolphin, unlike its close relative the whale, tends to live in shallower waters and does not make deep dives in search of food.

    Odontoceti Suborder

    • Bottlenose dolphins are members of the odontoceti suborder, more commonly referred to as toothed whales. It shares this group with around 70 other species, all of which possess teeth within their mouths, as the name suggests. This is different from the related baleen whales that filter food with a mesh-like substance in the mouth and have no teeth. Other members of this group include sperm whales, Indian river dolphins, beaked whales and porpoises.

    Cetacea Order

    • The main scientific order to which the species belongs is cetacea, which includes both toothed and baleen whales. At least 83 species belong to this order, including the largest animal ever to live, the blue whale. The species in this group vary from streamlined, fast-moving dolphins to massive, bulky-bodied whales, but all are fully aquatic mammals. All members of this order are carnivores and eat living animals to survive. This food can range from microscopic shrimp to large mammals depending on the species.