Yangtze Finless Porpoise

There are three distinct subspecies of finless porpoise, two of which are marine and one which is exclusively freshwater. N. phocaenoides phocaenoides is found in the Indian ocean and South China Sea; N. phocaenoides sunameri in northern China, Korea and along the coast of Japan and N. phocaenoides asiaeorientalis in the Yangtze River in China.

Subspecies: Yangtze River finless porpoise (N. phocaenoides asiaeorientalis)

Population size: The latest estimates on population size suggest that the numbers have declined drastically over the last ten years to less than 2000.

Distribution: This small cetacean is found exclusively in the freshwater environment of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River including Dongting and Poyang Lake. Their range is likely to have been reduced by the many damming projects of tributaries along the Yangtze including the controversial Three Gorges dam project. These dams have seriously degraded the porpoise’s environment in the same way they have affected the baiji.

Threats: The Yangtze habitat has been seriously degraded through numerous damming projects, they are susceptible to entanglement in gillnets and ‘rolling longlines’ and are killed by collision with fast moving vessels, dynamiting, electrofishing and high levels pollution from industrial and agricultural industry.

Interesting Facts: The finless porpoise is one of the smallest cetaceans; it has no prominent beak or fins and is the only porpoise that possesses a small bulbous melon. They have a ridge of circular wart-like tubercules and bumps that runs in a line from above the flippers to the beginning of the tail stock. They have often been seen accompanied by baiji and is the World’s first successful ex-situ conservation effort for a cetacean species. Animals were introduced in to Tian-E-Zhou oxbow reserve located near Shishou City in 1990 and having bred within the reserve, have expanded to a viable population of 25 or so individuals. It is hoped this will form a viable basis for the conservation of the critically endangered baiji.