Porpoise
Porpoises are mammals that live in the ocean. They are in the order Cetacea. They form the family Phocoenidae. There are six species of porpoise.
| Porpoises Temporal range: Mid Miocene to Recent
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Phocoena phocoena, Harbour porpoise at the Fjord & Bæltcentret in Denmark | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Family: | Phocoenidae Gray, 1825
|
Taxonomy
- Family Phocoenidae:
- Finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides)
- Vaquita (Phocoena sinus)
- Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
- Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis)
- Spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica)
- Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli)
Appearance
Porpoises look much like dolphins, but they are different in some ways: They are smaller and more stout. They have spade-shaped teeth, rounded heads, blunt jaws, and triangular dorsal fins.
Images
Dall's porpoise
A drawing of a Harbour porpoise.
Porpoise Media
.mw-parser-output .smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}Fig. 183.—Skeleton of Porpoise (Phocoena communis), acr, Acromion process of scapula; cerv, united cervical vertebrae; chev, chevron bones; cor, coracoid process; hu, humerus; hy, hyoid; jug, jugal; lumb.trans, lumbar transverse processes; max, maxilla; nas, nasal; orb, orbit; par, parietal; pelv, vestige of pelvis; per.ot, periotic; pr.max
Animation of the echo-location of a dolphin.
"Rooster tail" spray around swimming Dall's porpoises
Harbour porpoise in captivity
Traditional catch of harbour porpoise by lancing in Bay of Fundy
A vaquita swimming in the Gulf of California.
A porpoise sculpture in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
.jpg)
Related pages
 |
Wikispecies has information on: Phocoenidae. |