Finless porpoise

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Finless porpoise
Neophocaena phocaenoides -Miyajima Aquarium -Japan-8a.jpg
Neophocaena sunameri at Miyajima Public Aquarium
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Phocoenidae
Genus: Neophocaena
Palmer, 1899
Species

Neophocaena asiaeorientalis
Neophocaena phocaenioides
Neophocaena sunameri

江豚的分布.svg
For all three finless porpoise species

Neophocaena is a genus of porpoise native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as the freshwater habitats of the Yangtze River basin in China. They are commonly known as finless porpoises. Genetic studies indicate that Neophocaena is the most basal living member of the porpoise family.[1]

There are three species in this genus:[2][3]

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution
Yangtze finless porpoise, 12 February 2008a.jpg Neophocaena asiaeorientalis Yangtze finless porpoise Yangtze River basin in China
Stamps of Indonesia, 040-05.jpg Neophocaena phocaenioides Indo-Pacific finless porpoise Persian Gulf east to the Taiwan Strait, south to Indonesia
Neophocaena phocaenoides DSC 03.jpg Neophocaena sunameri East Asian finless porpoise Taiwan Strait north to the Yellow Sea, east to the east coast of Japan

Description[]

The finless porpoises are the only porpoises to lack a true dorsal fin. Instead there is a low ridge covered in thick skin bearing several lines of tiny tubercles. In addition, the forehead is unusually steep compared with those of other porpoises. With fifteen to twenty-one teeth in each jaw, they also have, on average, fewer teeth than other porpoises, although there is some overlap, and this is a not a reliable means of distinguishing them.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Rosel, P. E.; et al. (1995). "Phylogenetic relationships among the true porpoises (Cetacea: Phocoenidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 4 (4): 463–474. doi:10.1006/mpev.1995.1043. PMID 8747302.
  2. ^ Mammal Diversity Database (2021-08-10), Mammal Diversity Database, Zenodo, retrieved 2021-08-28
  3. ^ "Finless Porpoises: Neophocaena phocaenoides, N. asiaeorientalis". Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals: 372–375. 2018-01-01. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-804327-1.00129-1.
  4. ^ Jefferson, T. A.; Hung, S. K. (2004). "Neophocaena phocaenoides". Mammalian Species. 746: 1–12. doi:10.1644/746. S2CID 198125391.
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