Finless porpoise

Genus of porpoises

Finless porpoise

Neophocaena sunameri at Miyajima Public Aquarium
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Phocoenidae
Genus:	Neophocaena Palmer, 1899
Type species
Delphinus phocaenoides ^[1] Cuvier, 1829
Species
Neophocaena asiaeorientalis Neophocaena phocaenoides Neophocaena sunameri

For all three finless porpoise species

Neophocaena is a genus of porpoise native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as the freshwater habitats of the Yangtze River basin in China. They are commonly known as finless porpoises. Genetic studies indicate that Neophocaena is the most basal living member of the porpoise family.^[2]

There are three species in this genus:^[3]^[4]

Scientific name	Common name	Distribution
Neophocaena asiaeorientalis	Yangtze finless porpoise	Yangtze River basin in China
Neophocaena phocaenoides	Indo-Pacific finless porpoise	Persian Gulf east to the Taiwan Strait, south to Indonesia
Neophocaena sunameri	East Asian finless porpoise	Taiwan Strait north to the Yellow Sea, east to the east coast of Japan

Description

The finless porpoises are the only porpoises to lack a true dorsal fin. Instead there is a low ridge covered in thick skin bearing several lines of tiny tubercles. In addition, the forehead is unusually steep compared with those of other porpoises. With fifteen to twenty-one teeth in each jaw, they also have, on average, fewer teeth than other porpoises, although there is some overlap, and this is a not a reliable means of distinguishing them.^[5] Finless porpoises in Ariake Sound-Tachibana Bay showed ontogenctic and seasonal variations in diet. The mean length at weaning was estimated to be 101 cm, corresponding to approximately 6 months of age. Calves fed on small-sized demersal fish and cephalopods. ^[6]

References

^ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^ Rosel, P. E.; et al. (1995). "Phylogenetic relationships among the true porpoises (Cetacea: Phocoenidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 4 (4): 463–474. doi:10.1006/mpev.1995.1043. PMID 8747302.
^ Mammal Diversity Database (2021-08-10), Mammal Diversity Database, doi:10.5281/zenodo.5175993, retrieved 2021-08-28
^ "Finless Porpoises: Neophocaena phocaenoides, N. asiaeorientalis". Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals: 372–375. 2018-01-01. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-804327-1.00129-1. ISBN 978-0-12-804327-1.
^ Jefferson, T. A.; Hung, S. K. (2004). "Neophocaena phocaenoides". Mammalian Species. 746: 1–12. doi:10.1644/746. S2CID 198125391.
^ Shirakihara, Miki; Seki, Kenji; Takemura, Akira; Shirakihara, Kunio; Yoshida, Hideyoshi; Yamazaki, Takeshi (2008-10-01). "Food Habits of Finless Porpoises Neophocaena phocaenoides in Western Kyushu, Japan". Journal of Mammalogy. 89 (5): 1248–1256. doi:10.1644/07-MAMM-A-264.1. ISSN 0022-2372.

Extant Cetacea species

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Infraclass Eutheria
Superorder Laurasiatheria
Order Artiodactyla
Suborder Whippomorpha

Parvorder Mysticeti (Baleen whales)

Balaenidae

Balaena	Bowhead whale (B. mysticetus)
Eubalaena (Right whales)	Southern right whale (E. australis) North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis) North Pacific right whale (E. japonica)

Balaenopteridae
(Rorquals)

Balaenoptera	Common minke whale (B. acutorostrata) Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis) Sei whale (B. borealis) Bryde's whale (B. brydei) Pygmy Bryde's whale (B. edeni) Blue whale (B. musculus) Omura's whale (B. omurai) Fin whale (B. physalus) Rice's whale (B. ricei)
Eschrichtius	Gray whale (E. robustus)
Megaptera	Humpback whale (M. novaeangliae)

Cetotheriidae

Caperea	Pygmy right whale (C. marginata)

Parvorder Odontoceti (Toothed whales)

Delphinidae
(Oceanic dolphins)

Cephalorhynchus	Commerson's dolphin (C. commersonii) Chilean dolphin (C. eutropia) Heaviside's dolphin (C. heavisidii) Hector's dolphin (C. hectori)
Delphinus	Common dolphin (D. delphis)
Feresa	Pygmy killer whale (F. attenuata)
Globicephala (Pilot whales)	Short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus) Long-finned pilot whale (G. melas)
Grampus	Risso's dolphin (G. griseus)
Lagenodelphis	Fraser's dolphin (L. hosei)
Lagenorhynchus	White-beaked dolphin (L. albirostris) Atlantic white-sided dolphin (L. acutus) Peale's dolphin (L. australis) Hourglass dolphin (L. cruciger) Pacific white-sided dolphin (L. obliquidens) Dusky dolphin (L. obscurus)
Lissodelphis (Right whale dolphins)	Northern right whale dolphin (L. borealis) Southern right whale dolphin (L. peronii)
Orcaella	Irrawaddy dolphin (O. brevirostris) Australian snubfin dolphin (O. heinsohni)
Orcinus	Orca or killer whale (O. orca)
Peponocephala	Melon-headed whale (P. electra)
Pseudorca	False killer whale (P. crassidens)
Sotalia	Tucuxi (S. fluviatilis) Guiana dolphin (S. guianensis)
Sousa (Humpback dolphins)	Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (S. chinensis) Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (S. plumbea) Australian humpback dolphin (S. sahulensis) Atlantic humpback dolphin (S. teuszii)
Stenella	Pantropical spotted dolphin (S. attenuata) Clymene dolphin (S. clymene) Striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba) Atlantic spotted dolphin (S. frontalis) Spinner dolphin (S. longirostris)
Steno	Rough-toothed dolphin (S. bredanensis)
Tursiops (Bottlenose dolphins)	Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus) Burrunan dolphin (T. australis) Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin (T. erebennus) Common bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus)

Monodontidae

Delphinapterus	Beluga whale (D. leucas)
Monodon	Narwhal (M. monoceros)

Phocoenidae
(Porpoises)

Neophocoena (Finless porpoises)	Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (N. phocaenoides) Yangtze finless porpoise (N. asiaeorientalis)
Phocoena	Spectacled porpoise (P. dioptrica) Harbour porpoise (P. phocoena) Vaquita (P. sinus) Burmeister's porpoise (P. spinipinnis)
Phocoenoides	Dall's porpoise (P. dalli)

Physeteridae

Physeter	Sperm whale (P. macrocephalus)

Kogiidae

Kogia	Pygmy sperm whale (K. breviceps) Dwarf sperm whale (K. simus)

Iniidae

Inia	Araguaian river dolphin (I. araguaiaensis) Bolivian river dolphin (I. boliviensis) Amazon river dolphin (I. geoffrensis)

Lipotidae

Lipotes	Baiji (L. vexillifer)

Platanistidae

Platanista	Ganges river dolphin (P. gangetica) Indus river dolphin (P. minor)

Pontoporiidae

Pontoporia	La Plata dolphin (P. blainvillei)

Ziphiidae
(Beaked whales)

Berardius	Arnoux's beaked whale (B. arnuxii) Baird's beaked whale (B. bairdii) Sato's beaked whale (B. minimus)
Hyperoodon (Bottlenose whales)	Northern bottlenose whale (H. ampullatus) Southern bottlenose whale (H. planifrons)
Indopacetus	Tropical bottlenose whale (I. pacificus)
Mesoplodon (Mesoplodont whales)	Sowerby's beaked whale (M. bidens) Andrews' beaked whale (M. bowdoini) Hubbs' beaked whale (M. carlhubbsi) Blainville's beaked whale (M. densirostris) Ramari's beaked whale (M. eueu) Gervais's beaked whale (M. europaeus) Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (M. ginkgodens) Gray's beaked whale (M. grayi) Hector's beaked whale (M. hectori) Deraniyagala's beaked whale (M. hotaula) Strap-toothed whale (M. layardii) True's beaked whale (M. mirus) Perrin's beaked whale (M. perrini) Pygmy beaked whale (M. peruvianus) Stejneger's beaked whale (M. stejnegeri) Spade-toothed whale (M. traversii)
Tasmacetus	Shepherd's beaked whale (T. shepherdi)
Ziphius	Cuvier's beaked whale (Z. cavirostris)

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Globicetus †Imocetus †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena?
Lissodelphininae	Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno

Taxon identifiers
Neophocaena	Wikidata: Q10798086 Wikispecies: Neophocaena BioLib: 20842 BOLD: 454470 CoL: 63DKH EoL: 46559349 GBIF: 2440655 iNaturalist: 41449 IRMNG: 1034653 ITIS: 180477 MSW: 14300109 NBN: NHMSYS0000376997 NCBI: 34891 Open Tree of Life: 423941 Paleobiology Database: 63548 WoRMS: 254984