Mammals
Yangtze Finless Porpoise
Neophocaena asiaeorientalis · also called Yangtze finless porpoises, river pig
Surfacing with its permanently upturned, smiling mouth just visible above the water, a Yangtze finless porpoise now carries the weight of an entire river’s cetacean conservation on its own, the sole survivor of a river system that lost its other dolphin species within living memory.
Overview
The Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis, is a small, dorsal-fin-less cetacean native exclusively to freshwater habitat within the Yangtze River system of China, found nowhere else in the world. Its status as the last surviving cetacean in a river that lost the baiji, distinctive smiling facial appearance, and status as the subject of active relocation and protection programmes make it one of the most urgent conservation priorities among the world’s freshwater mammals.
The last one left in the river
With the baiji gone, every conservation effort aimed at protecting cetacean life in the Yangtze River now rests on this single remaining species, a responsibility that has turned the Yangtze finless porpoise into one of the most closely watched animals in Chinese conservation.
Status
Critically Endangered and decreasing, present only within the Yangtze River system, with active relocation and protection programmes working to prevent a second major loss from the same river.
Yangtze Finless Porpoise: common questions
Why is the Yangtze finless porpoise so important to conserve right now?
This species is now the only cetacean species surviving in the Yangtze River following the functional extinction of the baiji, meaning its own conservation has become the central focus of efforts to prevent a second major cetacean loss from the same heavily used river system.
Why does the Yangtze finless porpoise appear to be smiling?
This species has a distinctive upturned mouth that gives it a permanently smiling appearance, a feature that has made it a particularly recognisable and appealing conservation symbol used to raise awareness of the threats facing the Yangtze River ecosystem.
What is being done to protect the Yangtze finless porpoise?
This species is the subject of active conservation programmes, including the relocation of individuals to protected oxbow lake reserves considered safer than the main river channel, an approach designed to give the species refuge from the boat traffic and pollution present in the busier parts of the Yangtze.
Does the Yangtze finless porpoise have a dorsal fin?
No, this species lacks a dorsal fin entirely, a distinguishing feature reflected directly in its common name and one that sets it apart from most other porpoise and dolphin species, which typically display a prominent fin along the back.