Template:Automatic taxobox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Yangtze finless porpoise, 12 February 2008a.jpg | Neophocaena asiaeorientalis | Yangtze finless porpoise | Yangtze River basin in China |
| File:Stamps of Indonesia, 040-05.jpg | Neophocaena phocaenoides | Indo-Pacific finless porpoise | Persian Gulf east to the Taiwan Strait, south to Indonesia |
| File: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
- ↑ Phylogenetic relationships among the true porpoises (Cetacea: Phocoenidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution({Template:Year).
- ↑ Mammal Diversity Database(2021-08-10).
- ↑ Finless Porpoises: Neophocaena phocaenoides, N. asiaeorientalis. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals({Template:Date).
- ↑ Neophocaena phocaenoides. Mammalian Species({Template:Year).