Biology:Neophocaena

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Short description: Genus of porpoises

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Neophocaena
Neophocaena sunameri at Miyajima Public Aquarium
Scientific classification e
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Animalia
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Chordata
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Mammalia
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Artiodactyla
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Cetacea
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Phocoenidae
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Neophocaena
Palmer, 1899
Species

Neophocaena asiaeorientalis
Neophocaena phocaenioides
Neophocaena sunameri

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
Neophocaena asiaeorientalis Yangtze finless porpoise Yangtze River basin in China
Neophocaena phocaenioides Indo-Pacific finless porpoise Persian Gulf east to the Taiwan Strait, south to Indonesia
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. (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, https://zenodo.org/record/5175993, retrieved 2021-08-28 
  3. "Finless Porpoises: Neophocaena phocaenoides, N. asiaeorientalis" (in en). Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals: 372–375. 2018-01-01. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-804327-1.00129-1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128043271001291. 
  4. Jefferson, T. A.; Hung, S. K. (2004). "Neophocaena phocaenoides". Mammalian Species 746: 1–12. doi:10.1644/746.