vs common bottlenose dolphin

Chitinophaga taiwanensis compared with Tursiops truncatus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while common bottlenose dolphin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		common bottlenose dolphin
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Bacteroidota (Bacteroidota)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Bacteroidia (Bacteroidia)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chitinophagales (Chitinophagales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Chitinophagaceae	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Chitinophaga	Tursiops (Bottlenose Dolphins)
Species	Chitinophaga taiwanensis	Tursiops truncatus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

common bottlenose dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~600.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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).

Chitinophaga taiwanensis is a species of Gram-negative, aerobic bacterium belonging to the genus Chitinophaga in the family Chitinophagaceae. As the specific epithet indicates, this species was first described from soil samples collected in Taiwan. Like all members of Chitinophaga, it possesses the enzymatic machinery to degrade chitin — the structural polysaccharide abundant in fungal cell walls, insect cuticles, and crustacean shells — making it a key participant in the terrestrial nitrogen and carbon cycles. The genus is characterised by gliding motility on semi-solid or solid surfaces, production of pigmented colonies (typically yellow, orange, or tan), and a strictly aerobic metabolism. C. taiwanensis thrives in the rich agricultural and subtropical soils of Taiwan and similar environments, where the turnover of fungal biomass and arthropod debris provides abundant chitin substrate. Research on Chitinophaga species from tropical and subtropical soils has advanced understanding of chitinolytic enzyme diversity and its applications in biocontrol of soil-borne fungal diseases affecting crops. As a bacterium, Chitinophaga taiwanensis is not assessed under IUCN Red List criteria, which are designed for animals, plants, fungi, and other eukaryotes. The species' ecological significance lies in its contribution to soil health, organic matter decomposition, and nitrogen mineralisation in agricultural and natural ecosystems.

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.