The Bottlenose dolphin is a mammal. It is warm blooded, breaths air, nurses its young with milk and even has a few hair follicals. Even though is was origianlly an land animal it has adapted perfectly to a marine environment. Its swimming style is different from most fish and sharks in that its motion is up and down instead of from side to side. Dolphin show clear signs of convergent evolution. They share their cresent shaped tails and fusiform bodies with Tuna, Sharks, and other fast swinning ocean going predators. Its pectoral fins are modified forelimbs and are used only for steering and not propulsion. Its body is streamlined and designed to produce maximum thrust and a minimum of drag.

Click next to see one in motion