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Yangtze Finless Porpoise

Mammals

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)
Freshwater 2
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived 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 (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill).
Scientific Name
Neophocaena asiaeorientalis 1
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered 1
Population Estimate
1426 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Flat back and completely finless 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Phocoenidae, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Freshwater, Biomes
Source Wikipedia: Yangtze finless porpoise
In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Geography Atlas: South Asia, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Taiwan, found in there.
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
  • 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 Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView 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
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