Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin

The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is a species of humpback dolphin inhabiting coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This species is often referred to as the Chinese white dolphin in mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan as a common name. Some biologists regard the Indo-Pacific dolphin as a subspecies of the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (S. plumbea) which ranges from East Africa to India. However, DNA testing studies have shown that the two are distinct species. A new species, the Australian humpback dolphin (S. sahulensis), was split off from S. chinensis and recognized as a distinct species in 2014. Nevertheless, there are still several unresolved issues in differentiation of the Indian Ocean-type and Indo-Pacific-type humpback dolphins. == Taxonomy == Two subspecies of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin are currently recognized: S. c. chinensis, or the Chinese humpback dolphin S. c. taiwanensis, or the Taiwanese humpback dolphin == Description == An adult Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is grey, white or pink and may appear as an albino dolphin to some. Populations along the coasts of China and Thailand have been observed with pink skin. The pink colour originates not from a pigment, but from blood vessels…