SIZE, SHAPE, AND MOVEMENT
All dolphins share a similar body shape, but they vary considerably in size. The smallest species, Heaviside's dolphin, reaches only 4 feet (1.2 m) long. Bottlenose dolphins, a familiar sight in sea parks, measure up to 13 feet (4 m) long andweigh up to 650 pounds (300 kg). The blunt-nosed Risso's dolphin reaches a similar length but weighs up to 1,100 pounds (500 kg).
Body colors and patterns vary too. Some species, such as the bottlenose dolphin, are mainly gray, but the hourglass dolphin has distinctive black-and-white markings, and the backs of spotted dolphins are mottled.