Yangtze Finless Porpoise

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is a species of toothed whale in the family Phocoenidae, the 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 baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), a freshwater dolphin also native to the Yangtze. The Yangtze finless porpoise is considered critically endangered and it is estimated that only about 1,249 in 2023 remain. This small toothed whale faces many of the same threats as the baiji: high human activity on the Yangtze, such as illegal fishing, pollution, boat traffic, and dam construction. Due to the rapidly declining population of the species, the Chinese government and conservation charities are working to help save it from extinction. == Taxonomy == The Yangtze finless porpoise is considered a freshwater cetacean (whales, dolphins, and porpoises that live in a variety of aquatic habitats). The finless porpoise originally inhabited salt water niches along the coast of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. However, a population dispersed into the fresh water environment of the Yangtze River. Recent studies have found that the East Asian finless porpoise (N. sunameri) and the Yangtze finless porpoise (N. asiaeorientalis) have had separate reproduction and…