Neophocaena phocaenoides

– Data Deficient

Taxonomy

Kingdom:

ANIMALIA

Phylum:

CHORDATA

Class:

MAMMALIA

Order:

CETACEA

Family:

PHOCOENIDAE

Scientific Name:

Neophocaena phocaenoides

Species Authority:

(G. Cuvier, 1829)

Infra-specific Taxa Assessed:

See Neophocaena phocaenoides ssp. asiaeorientalis

Common Name/s:

English	—	BLACK FINLESS PORPOISE, FINLESS BLACK PORPOISE, FINLESS PORPOISE
French	—	MARSOUIN APTÈRE, MARSOUIN SANS NAGEOIRES
Spanish	—	MARSOPA LISA, MARSOPA NEGRA

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:

DD ver 2.3 (1994)

Year Assessed:

1996

Annotations:

Needs updating

Assessor/s:

Cetacean Specialist Group

Justification:

Extract from Reeves et al. (2003, pp. 48): "Finless Porpoises inhabit shallow and often partially enclosed marine waters along the coasts of southern and eastern Asia, from the Persian Gulf east to Sendai Bay, Japan (approx. 38ºN), and south to Java. A freshwater [sub]population inhabits the Yangtze River and its adjacent lake systems (Reeves et al. 1997, 2000; Parsons and Wang 1998; Kasuya 1999). Three subspecies are recognized: N. p. phocaenoides in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea; N. p. sunameri in northern China, Korea, and along the coast of Japan; and N. p. asiaeorientalis in the Yangtze. In the eastern and central parts of the Inland Sea of Japan, the number of porpoises has declined by approximately 95% since the late 1970s (Kasuya et al. 2002). There were an estimated 2700 in Ariake Sound, western Kyushu, during the 1980s and early 1990s (Shirakihara et al. 1994), and there are at least 200 in Hong Kong waters (Jefferson et al. 2002a). Based on surveys from 1984 to 1991, Zhang et al. (1993) estimated that there were about 2700 porpoises in the Yangtze River, while Zhou et al. (2000) estimated that only 700 remained in the lower reaches between Nanjing and Hukou between 1989 and 1992. Wang et al. (2000) concluded that porpoise abundance had declined considerably and that there could be fewer than 2000 animals in the Yangtze. The Yangtze [sub]population is classified by IUCN as Endangered.

Finless Porpoises, like other phocoenids (Jefferson and Curry 1994), are extremely susceptible to entanglement in gillnets, and large numbers have been, and continue to be, killed throughout their range (Jefferson et al. 2002b). Despite the fact that it is illegal, electric fishing has become widespread in the Yangtze system during the last decade, and it probably kills porpoises outright and contributes to the depletion of their prey (Reeves et al. 2000). Vessel collisions, especially involving high-speed ferries, may be a particular problem for porpoises in Hong Kong (Parsons and Jefferson 2000). Finless Porpoises in Japan have high concentrations of organochlorines, butyltins, and mercury in their tissues (Kannan et al. 1989; Iwata et al. 1994, 1995; Jefferson et al. 2002b), and DDT levels of porpoises in Hong Kong are among the highest recorded for cetaceans (Parsons and Chan 1998). Porpoise habitat in the Yangtze has been degraded by water development, including the Gezhouba and Three Gorges dams and about 1300 smaller dams in tributaries (Liu et al. 2000, Smith et al. 2000). The extensive modification of coastlines for shrimp farming and rampant harbor development throughout Asia means that there is less habitat for Finless Porpoises."

History:

1994

Insufficiently Known (Groombridge 1994)

Geographic Range

Range Description:	Ranges 1,600 km upstream on the Yangtze River.
Countries:	Native: Bahrain; Bangladesh; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Malaysia; Myanmar; Oman; Pakistan; Philippines; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; United Arab Emirates; Viet Nam
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean-eastern; Indian Ocean-western; Pacific-northwest; Pacific-western central

Habitat and Ecology

System:

Freshwater; Marine

List of Habitats:

5.1	Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)
5.5	Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)
9.1	Marine Neritic - Pelagic
9.10	Marine Neritic - Estuaries

Threats

List of Threats:

1.1.6	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Marine aquaculture (ongoing)
1.3.2.2	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Extraction - Fisheries - Artisinal/small-scale (ongoing)
1.4.5	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development - Transport (water) (ongoing)
1.4.6	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development - Dams (ongoing)
4.1.1.2	Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Fisheries-related - Netting (ongoing)
4.1.1.3	Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Fisheries-related - Entanglement (ongoing)
4.1.3	Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Other (ongoing)
4.2.2	Accidental mortality - Collision - Vehicle collision (ongoing)
6.3	Pollution (affecting habitat and/or species) - Water pollution (ongoing)
8.3	Changes in native species dynamics - Prey/food base (ongoing)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Iwata, H, Tanabe, S., Mizuno, T. and Tatsukawa, R. 1995. High accumulation of toxic butyltins in marine mammals from Japanese coastal waters. Environmental Science and Technology 39: 2959–2962.

Iwata, H., Tanabe, S., Miyazaki, N. and Tatsukawa, R. 1994. Detection of butyltin compound residues in the blubber of marine mammals. Marine Pollution Bulletin 28: 607–612.

Jefferson, T.A., Curry, B.E. and Kinoshita, R. 2002b. Mortality and morbidity of Hong Kong finless porpoises, with emphasis on the role of environmental contaminants. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement: 161–171.

Jefferson, T.A., Hung, S.K., Law, L., Torey, T. and Tregenza, N. 2002a. Distribution and abundance of finless porpoises in Hong Kong and adjacent waters of China. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement: 43–55.

Jefferson, T.A., and Curry, B.E. 1994. A global review of porpoise (Cetacea: Phocoenidae) mortality in gillnets. Biological Conservation 67: 167–183.

Kannan, N., Tanabe, S., Ono, M. and Tatsukawa, R. 1989. Critical evaluation of polychlorinated biphenyl toxicity in terrestrial and marine mammals: increasing impact of non-ortho and mono-ortho coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls from land to ocean. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 18: 850– 857.

Kasuya, T. 1999. Finless Porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides (G. Cuvier, 1829). In: S.H. Ridgway and R. Harrison (eds) Handbook of Marine Mammals. Volume 6: The Second Book of Dolphins and the Porpoises, pp. 411–441. Academic Press, San Diego.

Kasuya, T., Yamamoto, Y. and Iwatsuki, T. 2002. Abundance decline in the Finless Porpoise population in the Inland Sea of Japan. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement: 57–65.

Liu, R., Wang, D. and Zhou, K. 2000. Effects of water development on river cetaceans in China. In: R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, and T. Kasuya (eds) Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia, pp. 40–42. IUCN SSC Occasional Paper No. 23. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Parsons, E.C.M. and Chan, H.M. 1998. Organochlorines in Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) and Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) from Hong Kong. In: B. Morton (ed.) The Marine Biology of the South China Sea, pp. 423–438. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on the Marine Biology of the South China Sea, Hong Kong, 28 October–1 November 1996. Hong Kong University Press.

Parsons, E.C.M. and Jefferson, T.A. 2000. Post-mortem investigations on stranded dolphins and porpoises from Hong Kong waters. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 36, 342–356.

Parsons, E.C.M. and Wang, J.Y. 1998. A review of Finless Porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) from the South China Sea. In: B. Morton (ed.) The Marine Biology of the South China Sea, pp. 287–306. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on the Marine Biology of the South China Sea, Hong Kong, 28 October–1 November 1996 (ed. ). Hong Kong University Press.

Reeves, R.R., Jefferson, T.A., Kasuya, T., Smith, B.D., Wang Ding, Wang, P., Wells, R.S., Würsig, B. and Zhou, K. 2000. Report of the workshop to develop a conservation Action Plan for the Yangtze River Finless Porpoise, Ocean Park, Hong Kong, 16–18 September 1997. In: R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, and T. Kasuya (eds) Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia, pp. 67–80. IUCN/SSC Occasional Paper No. 23, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Reeves, R.R., Smith, B.D., Crespo, E.A. and di Sciara, G.N. (compilers) 2003. Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002-2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World's Cetaceans. IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Reeves, R.R., Wang, J.Y. and Leatherwood, S. 1997. The Finless Porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides (G. Cuvier 1829): a summary of current knowledge and recommendations for conservation action. Asian Marine Biology 14: 111–143.

Shirakihara, M., Shirakihara, K. and Takemura, A. 1994. Distribution and seasonal density of the Finless Porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides, in the coastal waters of western Kyushu. Japan Fisheries Science 60(1): 82–85.

Smith, B.D., Sinha, R.K., Zhou, K., Chaudhry, A.A., Renjun, L., Wang, D., Ahmed, B., Haque, A.K.M. and Sapkota, K. 2000. Register of water development projects affecting Asian river cetaceans. In: R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, and T. Kasuya (eds) Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia, pp. 22–39. IUCN/SSC Occasional Paper No. 23, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Wang, D., Liu, R., Zhang, X, Yang, J., Wei, Z., Zhao, Q. and Wang, X. 2000. Status and conservation of the Yangtze Finless Porpoise. In: R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, and T. Kasuya (eds) Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia, pp. 81–85. IUCN SSC Occasional Paper No. 23. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Zhang, X., Liu, R., Zhao, Q., Zhang, G., Wei, Z., Wang, X. and Yang, J. 1993. The population of Finless Porpoise in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. Acta Theriologica Sinica 13(4): 260–270.

Zhou, K., Yang, G., Gao, A., Sun, J. and Xu, X. 2000. Abundance and distribution of Finless Porpoises in the Nanjing-Hukou section of the lower Yangtze River. In: R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, and T. Kasuya (eds) Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia, pp. 91–96. IUCN/SSC Occasional Paper No. 23, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Citation:	Cetacean Specialist Group 1996. Neophocaena phocaenoides. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 30 August 2008.
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