Bottlenose Dolphin
· Bottlenose Dolphin Habitat
· Bottlenose Dolphin Food
· Bottlenose Dolphin Behaviour
· Conservation Status
· Bottlenose Dolphin Pictures
· Bottlenose Dolphin Facts

Bottlenose Dolphin Food

Bottlenose Dolphin food

Since Bottlenose Dolphins are found all over the world and inhabit a series of different biotopes, their individual diets can naturally be highly dissimilar. The Bottlenose Dolphins tend to have a varied diet, and pelagic fish, bottom-dwelling fish, squids, octopuses, and invertebrates, such as shrimps and crabs, are all considered Bottlenose Dolphin food.

Bottlenose Dolphin food: hunting

Bottlenose dolphins are equipped with numerous pairs of shark teeth in both areas of the jaws. These teeth are ideal for grasping, but they can not be used to chew food. The Bottlenose Dolphin is a skilled predator and it is common for these social animals to hunt and feed together. Bottlenose Dolphins are however frequently spotted hunting and feeding alone as well. When hunting as a group, it is common for the dolphins to seek out a shoal of fish and drive them together. Hunting at the surface is very common. When feeding alone, the Bottlenose Dolphin will instead typically seek out bottom dwelling Bottlenose Dolphin food.

The term “fish whacking” is used to describe one of the hunting techniques employed by Bottlenose dolphins. During “fish whacking”, the dolphin will stun a fish using the fluke, since a stunned and confused fish is easier to catch. Fish may sometimes even be tossed out of water.

Bottlenose Dolphin food: human interaction

It is well known that the Bottlenose Dolphin gladly approaches fishing trawlers to find ready available Bottlenose Dolphin food, but there are certain Bottlenose Dolphins who have taken this interaction with humans much farther. Bottlenose Dolphins living near the town of Laguna in south Brazil have been hunting together with humans for at least 150 years, perhaps much longer. The dolphins drive fish towards the beach where the fishermen gather with their nets. When the dolphins are close enough, one dolphin will roll over and for the fishermen this is a sign to throw out their nets. The fish is now trapped in shallow waters between hungry dolphins and humans with nets, and it is easy for dolphins as well as humans to catch plenty of scared and confused fish. Similar interactions with human fishermen have been reported from other parts of the world, including several African villages.