PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Cetacea
FAMILY: Delphinidae
GENUS: Orcaella
SPECIES: brevirostris
TOOTHED or TOOTHLESS (BALEEN): Toothed
FRESHWATER, SALTERWATER or BRACKISH: Saltwater, brakish or freshwater
HABITAT: Rivers and shallow coastal waters in Southeastern Asia, Indonesia and North Australia
LENGTH (maximum): 7-8 Ft
WEIGHT (maximum): 290 lbs
RELATIVE SPECIES: Looks similar to a Beluga, but is more closely related to other dolphins such as Bottlenose dolphins and Indo-Pacific Hump-Back dolphin.
NEIGHBORING SPECIES: Finless Porpoise, Ganges and Indus River Dolphins, bottlenose dolphins
PREDATORS: Humans
THREATS: Direct and incidental catch, pollution, tourism, dams, habitat degradation
DIET: Squid, shrimp, herring, poyfish, etc.
MANNER OF FEEDING: Spitting water at fish to herd them. Sometimes they work alongside fisherman to help one another catch fish.
BEHAVIOR: Travel in groups of 7-10. Sluggish. Often spit water out of the surface, but only in freshwater. Often seen spyhopping, breaching, rolling on their sides waving their flippers.
REPRODUCTION: 14-month gestation
LIFE SPAN: 30 years
COOL/GROSS/WEIRD:
- One of few dolphins that live in freshwater and saltwater.
- Natives believe they are reincarnated people sent to rescue people that are drowning.
- Unique partnership with fisherman.
- Highly endangered.
SOURCES:
- Knopf, Alfred A. Guide to Marine Mammals of the World.Random House. 2002
- http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/O_brevirostris/O_brevirostris.htm
-TSF-
