ImportMaster at 07:32, 26 April 2022

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{{speciesbox
| name = Indus river dolphin
| image2_caption = Size compared to an average human
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |title=''Platanista gangetica'' ssp. ''minor'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Braulik, G.T.|author2=Smith, B.D. |author3=Chaudhry, S. |year=2012 |page= e.T41757A17628296 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T41757A17628296.en |access-date=18 February 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref>
| image = Schnabeldelphin-drawing.jpg
| image_caption = Illustration by [[Friedrich Specht]]
| image2 = Ganges and Indus river dolphin size.svg
| genus = Platanista
| species = minor
| authority = [[Richard Owen|Owen]], 1853
| range_map = Cetacea_range_map_Indus_and_Ganges_River_Dolphin_2.png
| range_map_caption = Ranges of the <span style="color:blue;">Ganges River dolphin</span> and of the <span style="color:#0cdbf7;">Indus River dolphin</span>
| synonyms = ''Platanista gangetica minor''
}}The '''Indus river dolphin''' (''Platanista minor''), also known as the '''''bhulan''''' in [[Urdu]] and [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], is a species of [[toothed whale]] in the family [[Platanistidae]]. It is [[endemic]] to the [[Indus River Basin|Indus River basin]] of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]. This dolphin was the first discovered side-swimming cetacean. It is patchily distributed in five small, sub-populations that are separated by irrigation barrages.<ref name=Braulik2006>{{cite journal | author = Braulik, G.T. | year = 2006 | title = Status assessment of the Indus river dolphin, Platanista gangetica minor, March–April 2001 | journal = Biological Conservation | volume = 129 | issue = 4 | pages = 579–590 | doi = 10.1016/j.biocon.2005.11.026}}</ref>

From the 1970s until 1998, the [[Ganges River dolphin]] (''Platanista gangetica'') and the Indus dolphin were regarded as separate species; however, in 1998, their classification was changed from two separate species to subspecies of a [[South Asian river dolphin|single species]]. However, more recent studies support them being distinct species. It has been named as the [[List of national animals|national mammal]] of Pakistan, and the [[List of Indian state symbols|state aquatic animal]] of [[Punjab, India]].

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Indus River dolphin skull cast.jpg|left|thumb|The long jaws and deep brain pan of the Indus river dolphin are visible from this skull cast. From the collection of [[The Children's Museum of Indianapolis]].]]
The Ganges river dolphin split from the Indus river dolphin during the [[Pleistocene]], around 550,000 years ago.<ref name="fossilworks">{{cite web|url=http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=63565}}</ref> This species and the Indus river dolphin, were initially classified as a single species, ''Platanista gangetica'', but in the 1970s both were split into distinct species. However, in the 1990s, both species were again grouped as a single species. However, more recent studies of genes, divergence time, and skull structure support both being distinct species.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore the Database|url=https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#species-id=1006462|access-date=2021-08-27|website=www.mammaldiversity.org}}</ref> Alternative names for the Indus River Dolphin include the '''Indus blind dolphin''', '''side-swimming dolphin''', and '''''bhulan'''''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=River Dolphin|url=http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/RiverDolphin.html|access-date=2021-08-27|website=www.wildlifeofpakistan.com}}</ref>

==Distribution==
The Indus river dolphin presently only occurs in the Indus River system.<ref name=Braulik2006/> These dolphins occupied about 3,400 km of the Indus River and the tributaries attached to it in the past.<ref name=Braulik2006/> But today, its only found in one fifth of this previous range. Its effective range today has declined by 80% since 1870.<ref name=Braulik2006/> It no longer exists throughout the tributaries, and its home range is only 690 km of the river.<ref name=Braulik2006/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwfpak.org/species/indus_dolphin.php|title=Indus River Dolphin|publisher=WWF Pakistan}}</ref> This dolphin prefers a freshwater habitat with a water depth greater than 1 meter and that have more than 700 meters squared of cross-sectional area. Today this species can only be found in the Indus River's main stem, along with a remnant population in the [[Beas River]].

Since the two originally inhabited river systems – between the Sukkur and Guddu barrage in Pakistan's Sind Province, and in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces – are not connected in any way, how they were colonized remains unknown. The river dolphins are unlikely to have travelled from one river to another through the sea route, since the two estuaries are very far apart. A possible explanation is that several north Indian rivers such as the [[Sutlej]] and [[Yamuna]] changed their channels in ancient times while retaining their dolphin populations.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sanyal|first=S.|title=Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography|publisher=Penguin|year=2012}}</ref>

==Description==
The Indus dolphin has the long, pointed nose characteristic of all river dolphins. The teeth are visible in both the upper and lower jaws even when the mouth is closed. The teeth of young animals are almost an inch long, thin and curved; however, as animals age the teeth undergo considerable changes and in mature adults become square, bony, flat disks. The snout thickens towards its end. The species does not have a [[lens (vision)|crystalline eye lens]], rendering it effectively [[blindness|blind]], although it may still be able to detect the intensity and direction of light. Navigation and hunting are carried out using [[Animal echolocation|echolocation]].

The body is a brownish color and stocky at the middle. The species has a small triangular lump in place of a [[dorsal fin]]. The flippers and tail are thin and large in relation to the body size, which is about 2-2.2 meters in males and 2.4–2.6 meters in females. The oldest recorded animal was a 28-year-old male 199 centimeters in length.<ref>Kasuya, T., 1972. Some information on the growth of the Ganges dolphin with a comment on the Indus dolphin. Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst., 24: 87–108</ref> Mature adult females are larger than males. [[Sexual dimorphism]] is expressed after females reach about 150 cm; the female [[Rostrum (anatomy)|rostrum]] continues to grow after the male rostrum stops growing, eventually reaching approximately 20 cm longer. Calves have been observed between January and May and do not appear to stay with the mother for more than a few months. Gestation is thought to be approximately 9–10 months.

== Diet ==
The species feeds on a variety of crustaceans and fish, including prawns, carp, catfish, gobies, etc.

==Human interaction==
The Indus river dolphin has been very adversely affected by human use of the river systems in the subcontinent. Entanglement in [[fishing net]]s can cause significant damage to local population numbers. Some individuals are still taken each year and their oil and meat used as a liniment, as an [[aphrodisiac]] and as bait for [[catfish]]. Irrigation has lowered water levels throughout their ranges. [[water pollution|Poisoning of the water]] supply from industrial and agricultural chemicals may have also contributed to population decline. Perhaps the most significant issue is the building of dozens of dams along many rivers, causing the segregation of populations and a narrowed [[gene pool]] in which dolphins can breed. There are currently three sub-populations of Indus dolphins considered capable of long-term survival if protected.<ref name=Braulik2006/>

==Conservation status==
The Indus river dolphin is listed by the [[IUCN]] as endangered on their [[Red List of Threatened Species]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Himalayas))|first=Shivaji Chaudhry (G B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (Eastern|last2=Smith|first2=Brian|last3=Braulik|first3=Gillian|date=2004-05-01|title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Platanista gangetica ssp. minor|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/en|access-date=2021-08-27|website=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species}}</ref> and by the U.S. government [[National Marine Fisheries Service]] under the U.S. [[Endangered Species Act]]. It is the second most endangered cetacean in the world. As of 2017 it is estimated that there are only about 1,800 individuals remaining (up from 1,200 estimated in 2001).<ref>{{cite web|title=Signs of hope as population of endangered Indus River dolphin jumps in Pakistan |publisher=WWF |url=http://wwf.panda.org/?318636/Signs-of-hope-as-population-of-endangered-Indus-River-dolphin-jumps-in-Pakistan&utm_ |accessdate=2017-12-17 }}</ref> A demonstrable increase in the main river population of the Indus subspecies between 1974 and 2008 may have been driven by permanent immigration from upstream tributaries, where the species no longer occurs.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Braulik|first1=Gill T.|last2=Noureen|first2=Uzma|last3=Arshad|first3=Masood|last4=Reeves|first4=Randall R.|year=2015|title=Review of status, threats, and conservation management options for the endangered Indus River blind dolphin|journal=Biological Conservation|language=en|volume=192|pages=30–41|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2015.09.008}}</ref>

There are many threats to their survival. Reckless and extensive fishing that reduces their prey availability is a large factor.<ref name=":0" /> Also, they are sometimes accidentally entangled in the fishing nets which can cause fatalities.<ref name=Kahn2013>{{cite journal | author = Khan, M.S. | year = 2013 | title = Indus River Dolphin: The Survivor of River Beas, Punjab, India | journal = Current Science | volume = 104 | issue = 11 | pages = 1464–1465 | url=http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=41d67834-15b2-4190-9202-c1fb7f22936f%40sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=4211}}</ref> Deforestation that occurs along the river basin is causing sedimentation which degrades the dolphin's habitat.<ref name=":0" /> Another factor in their decline is the construction of cross-river structures such as dams and barrages. These are a problem because they cause more isolation in the already small sub-populations.<ref name=":0" /> Lastly, human induced water pollution is a major threat factor. This pollution is usually in the form of either industrial and human waste, or agricultural run-off containing high amounts of chemical fertilizers and poisonous pesticides.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Indus River dolphin: the survivor of River Beas, Punjab, India|url=https://indiabiodiversity.org/document/show/227|access-date=2021-08-27|website=India Biodiversity Portal}}</ref>

Studies suggest that a better understanding of this species ecology is needed in order to develop good conservation plans. Regular monitoring is also a necessity to assess the population's status and factors causing its decline.<ref name=":0" /> There are currently several organizations that are helping to conserve the Indus dolphin. The [[World Wide Fund for Nature|World Wildlife Fund]] (WWF) is involved in rescue missions and helping to reduce pollution in the river.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} A satellite tagging effort was begun in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?4902466/First-ever-satellite-tagging-of-river-dolphins-in-Asia |title=
First ever satellite tagging of river dolphins in Asia |publisher=WWF |date=21 January 2022 |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref> In addition, [http://www.wwfpak.org/species/indus_dolphin.php WWF Pakistan] is assisting in educating the public, and have arranged training courses for many institutions.

The species
is protected under Appendix I of [[CITES|the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species]] which prohibits the commercial international trade of the species (including parts and derivatives).<ref name="Braulik2006" />

==See also==
* [[South Asian river dolphin]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{RefAudubonMarineMammals}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies}}
{{Commons}}
{{Cetacea|O.1}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q260018|from2=Q12967430}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indus River dolphin}}
[[Category:River dolphins]]
[[Category:Mammals of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mammals of India]]
[[Category:National symbols of Pakistan]]
[[Category:EDGE species]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1853]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Richard Owen]]
[[Category:Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN]]

Indus river dolphin - Revision history

ImportMaster at 07:32, 26 April 2022