The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of three species of bottlenose dolphin in the genus Tursiops. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it receives in captivity in marine parks and dolphinariums, and in movies and television programs.

bottlenose dolphin, (genus Tursiops), any of two or three species of oceanic dolphins classified within the marine mammal family Delphinidae and characterized by a bottle-shaped snout. The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which is the most widely recognized dolphin species, is found worldwide in warm and temperate seas.

The scientific name of the common bottlenose dolphin is Tursiops truncatus. This is derived from tursio, which describes a fish that looks like a dolphin. “Ops” means the dolphin looks like this fish, which was first described by Pliny, the ancient Roman historian. Truncatus describes the animal’s short beak.