[12] Prior to proposal of the name T. (aduncus) australis, the term "Tursiops species, southern Australian bottlenose dolphin (SABD)" had been used.

[11] In March 2020, the Canadian Journal of Zoology published "Taxonomy and distribution of bottlenose dolphins (genus Tursiops) in Australian waters: an osteological clarification" by Maria Jedensjö et al., which questioned the classification of T. australis as a distinct species.

[9] However, a larger body of evidence still exists to validate the Burrunan as a species using mtDNA regions,[2] concatenated mtDNA/nuDNA sequences,[3] the mitogenome,[4][5][6][7] and more recently the time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of Certiodactyla.

[8] In May 2020, a separate phylogenomic analysis that used a double digest RADseq protocol (in contrast to the previous studies, which used whole mitogenomes) found that the South Australian form of the Burrunan dolphin fell within T. aduncus, forming a monophyletic lineage that is sister to an undescribed, wider coastal Australasian subspecies.

[2] The American Society of Mammalogists has followed the results of this study and now classifies T. australis under T. aduncus, although it also acknowledges the debate over its status.

[17][18] The species is found in estuaries and sheltered bays of the southern coasts of Australia, often in locations that make them vulnerable to human activities.

Small localised populations may be at high risk of extinction through demographic and genetic stochasticity,[12] particularly if they occur close to urban areas where anthropogenic threats abound.

Anthropogenic activities, such as cetacean-based tourism [20] or recreational boating,[22] can impact dolphins through physical presence, non-compliance to regulations and acoustic disturbance.

[22] As recent case study conducted by the Marine Mammal Foundation and RMIT (Research Lead Dr Kate Robb), provided the first field assessment of vessel compliance with the Wildlife (Marine Mammal) Regulations 2009 in Gippsland Lakes, Australia, and provided the first assessment of the endangered Gippsland Lakes Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis) population's behavioural ecology.