Need a solid summary or good source of references about one of the most intriguing animals on the planet, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus? Then this book chapter is for you, and it’s peppered with pretty pictures for the visually aroused…

Title: The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus

Authors: Connor RC, Sakai M, Morisaka T, Allen SJ

Abstract: The behavioral ecology of Tursiops aduncus (Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin) is usually reviewed alongside the much more widely studied T. truncatus (common bottlenose dolphin). However, the smaller, typically shallow water T. aduncus has been closely scrutinized in Australian and Japanese waters. As a result, there now exists a robust body of information spanning all three of Hinde’s levels of social analysis—interactions, relationships, and social structure—that may be unmatched in any other cetacean. Research on T. aduncus has contributed significantly to the social complexity hypothesis of large brain evolution and our understanding of delphinid mating systems, communication, and individual differences in foraging tactics within populations. Here, we focus on behavioral research at two primary sites, Shark Bay in Australia and Mikura Island in Japan, with additional observations of importance from other locales in each region.

Full citation: Connor RC, Sakai M, Morisaka T, Allen SJ 2019. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus. Ch16 in Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Odontocetes (ed. Würsig). Springer Nature. Pp 345-368. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-16663-2_16.