The taxonomic specific name, heinsohni, was chosen in honour of George Heinsohn, an Australian biologist who worked at James Cook University, "for his pioneering work on northeast Australian odontocetes, including the collection and initial analysis of Orcaella heinsohni specimens which form the basis for much of our knowledge of the new species".

[6] The holotype QM JM4721 (JUCU MM61) is the skull and some other bones of an adult male found drowned in a shark net at Horseshoe Bay, Queensland, on 21 April 1972.

[8] Australian snubfin dolphins have a varied diet, eating a range of fish, shrimp, and cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopus).

[16] Snubfin dolphin consume a wide array of prey, that can be narrowed down to coastal, estuarine, and reef-associated fishes throughout the water column and at the bottom.

The range of the species is expected to extend to Papua New Guinea; that is, O. heinsohni is endemic to the northern half of the Sahul Shelf, but the majority live in Australian waters.

Passive acoustic monitoring methods are being deployed to attempt to more accurately determine the range of these animals by listening for their distinctive echolocation clicks.

[14] Although some hunting by indigenous people occurs (as evidenced by the 1948 specimen), this is likely to be insignificant compared to other threats such as drowning in sharknets and fishing gear.

Snubfins are particularly at risk from incidental capture in gillnets, which are often placed in near-shore areas and near the mouths of rivers, where these dolphins are more likely to be found.

[11] The coastal zones along the Australian snubfin dolphin's range have been highly modified for mining and agricultural purposes as well as ports, aquaculture and residential development.

Indeed, one study of snubfins on the Great Barrier Reef found levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) far exceeding the thresholds for small cetaceans, over which reproductive anomalies and immunosuppression can occur.

[18] Periodic floods present a temporary threat to snubfin dolphins in that they result in an increase in freshwater discharge, heavy metals, nutrients, sediment and pesticides in coastal areas.

Increases in floods, cyclone severity, storm surges and sea surface temperatures due to climate change will likely also affect the habitat and future food supply of snubfin dolphins.

[19] As a result of the cumulative effects of drowning as bycatch and habitat loss and degradation, the Australian snubfin dolphin population is believed to be decreasing and is likely to meet the criteria for IUCN's "endangered" status in the near future.

The Australian snubfin dolphin is listed on Appendix II[21] of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

It is listed on Appendix II[21] as it has an unfavourable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co-operation organised by tailored agreements.