Atlantic Smooth Dogfish vs common bottlenose dolphin

Mustelus canis compared with Tursiops truncatus

Key Differences

• Atlantic Smooth Dogfish is Near Threatened while common bottlenose dolphin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic Smooth Dogfish	common bottlenose dolphin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Triakidae	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Mustelus	Tursiops (Bottlenose Dolphins)
Species	Mustelus canis	Tursiops truncatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic Smooth Dogfish and common bottlenose dolphin share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Atlantic Smooth Dogfish

NT — Near Threatened

common bottlenose dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~600.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic Smooth Dogfish	common bottlenose dolphin
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	45 years
Average Length	—	3.0 m
Average Weight	—	300.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic Smooth Dogfish

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Range

Found in Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

common bottlenose dolphin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Atlantic Smooth Dogfish

The Atlantic Smooth Dogfish (Mustelus canis) is a species in the genus Mustelus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

common bottlenose dolphin

The most studied and recognized dolphin species, bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate oceans worldwide, from coastal shallows to the open sea. Highly intelligent with large brains relative to body size, they demonstrate self-recognition, complex communication, and social learning. They live in fluid fission-fusion societies and cooperate to herd fish. A keystone indicator species for marine ecosystem health.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇻🇪 Venezuela