The Yangtze finless porpoise is a species of toothed whale in the porpoise family, endemic to the Yangtze River in China, making it the country's only known freshwater cetacean since the likely extinction of the baiji, a freshwater dolphin also once native to the Yangtze. It is considered critically endangered, with only about 1,426 individuals estimated to remain as of 2026, threatened by illegal fishing, pollution, boat traffic and dam construction, though a 2026 report by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs found the population had grown by 177 since 2022 following a ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River implemented in 2021.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) System (Realm) Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleEcotourism and Research 1 Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Scientific NameNeophocaena asiaeorientalis 1 Conservation Status Population Estimate Body Size Band Activity Pattern Activity Pattern Activity Pattern Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceFlat back and completely finless 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Wikipedia: Yangtze finless porpoise
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Yangtze finless porpoise
Lead, sentence 1
The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis)
Lead, sentence 3, first clause
considered critically endangered
Lead, sentence 3, second clause
only about 1,426 remain as of 2026
Dorsal ridge
these finless porpoises have flat backs and are completely finless
Conservation, captive breeding research
There have also been efforts to study porpoise biology to help specialize conservation through captive breeding.
Infobox: status2
CITES_A1
Article text
Among the fishes in their diet, the most common are Coilia brachygnathus, Pseudobrama simoni, Pelteobagrus nitidus, and Hemiculter bleekeri.
- In Biome: Freshwater, Wikipedia intro: "he porpoise family. It is endemic to the Yangtze River in China, making it the country's only known freshwater cetacean following the possible extinction of the..."
View the Source2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species API- System (Realm): Freshwater
- System (Realm): Marine
View the Source 3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Neophocaena phocaenoides (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyLifespan/Longevity, average lifespan in the wild (the account treats the finless porpoise as one species, Yangtze River included)
Average lifespan Status: wild 23.0 years
Economic importance for humans
is hunted by humans for its meat, skin and oil (Nowak 1991).
View the Source 4. Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal diet data
Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)MamFuncDat.txt, row Neophocaena phocaenoides (the single finless porpoise species of MSW3, which then included the Yangtze form), Activity columns (Nocturnal 1, Crepuscular 1, Diurnal 1)
Neophocaena phocaenoides Phocoenidae 40 0 0 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC M A 1 1 1 Ref_3 D2 32500
MamFuncDat.txt, row Neophocaena phocaenoides (the single finless porpoise species of MSW3, which then included the Yangtze form), BodyMass-Value column (grams)
Neophocaena phocaenoides Phocoenidae 40 0 0 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC M A 1 1 1 Ref_3 D2 32500
View the Source Wikidata: Yangtze Finless Porpoise
Wikidata Q22286308, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: PhocoenidaeView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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