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Burmeister's Porpoise

Mammals

Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis) is a small porpoise found only in the coastal waters of South America. Its range appears to run from northern Peru in the Pacific round Tierra del Fuego and up the Atlantic side to southern Brazil. Hermann Burmeister first described the species in 1865 and it carries his name. Adults reach about 150 cm in length and weigh roughly 50 to 75 kg. Live animals are dark grey but turn black within minutes of death, which gave rise to the older common name black porpoise. The triangular dorsal fin points backward and sits further back on the body than in any other dolphin or porpoise, a feature that helps separate it from the similar-sized Chilean dolphin in its Pacific range. It is shy, usually seen alone or in pairs, and feeds on pelagic fish such as anchovies, hake and mackerel. Accidental capture in fishing nets is common off Uruguay, Peru and Chile, and the IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Piscivore 1
System (Realm)
Marine 1
Threats
Biological Resource Use 1
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 1
Relationship to People
Eaten or Drunk by People 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 2
Conservation Status
Near Threatened 2
Body Size Band
Large 3
Activity Pattern
Diurnal 3
Activity Pattern
Nocturnal 3
Activity Pattern
Crepuscular 3
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Appendix II 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Phocoenidae, Taxa
Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Brazil

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Population and distribution
Quote, Population and distribution
Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern Peru in the Pacific Ocean round Tierra del Fuego and up to southern Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
Chile

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Conservation, where it lives
Quote, Conservation, where it lives
This is common in Uruguay, Peru and Chile.
Peru

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Population and distribution
Quote, Population and distribution
Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern Peru in the Pacific Ocean round Tierra del Fuego and up to southern Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Population and distribution
Quote, Population and distribution
Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern Peru in the Pacific Ocean round Tierra del Fuego and up to southern Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Pacific Ocean

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Population and distribution
Quote, Population and distribution
Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern Peru in the Pacific Ocean round Tierra del Fuego and up to southern Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tierra del Fuego

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Population and distribution
Quote, Population and distribution
Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern Peru in the Pacific Ocean round Tierra del Fuego and up to southern Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
Uruguay

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)Conservation, where it lives
Quote, Conservation, where it lives
This is common in Uruguay, Peru and Chile.
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Phocoena spinipinnis (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Food Habits
    The Burmeister's porpoise feeds primarily on anchovies and hake
  • Geographic Range
    Burmeister's porpoises are only found along the coastal waters of South America.
  • Conservation Status
    the Burmeister's porpoise is often taken as bycatch in fishing nets.
  • Conservation Status, relationship to people
    where the animals are shot or harpooned and subsequently sold for their meat
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
    The meat of these individuals is used either as food for humans or for baiting crab.
  • Conservation Status, CITES
    CITES Appendix II
View the Source
2. Burmeister's porpoise (Wikipedia)
  • Conservation
    The IUCN lists the animal as Near Threatened in its Red List of Threatened Species.
  • Lead
    Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis) is a species of porpoise endemic to the coast of South America.
  • Population and distribution
    Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern Peru in the Pacific Ocean round Tierra del Fuego and up to southern Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Conservation, where it lives
    This is common in Uruguay, Peru and Chile.
View the Source
3. 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 Phocoena spinipinnis, Activity columns (Nocturnal 1, Crepuscular 1, Diurnal 1)
    Phocoena spinipinnis Phocoenidae 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC M A 1 1 1 Ref_3 D2 60000
  • MamFuncDat.txt, row Phocoena spinipinnis, BodyMass-Value column (grams)
    Phocoena spinipinnis Phocoenidae 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC M A 1 1 1 Ref_3 D2 60000
View the Source
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