| The finless porpoise has long been considered to be a | | | | its place, extending from its blowhole to its tail. They |
| vulnerable species, with only a few thousand individuals | | | | weigh between 65 and 100 pounds, and can grow to |
| in the wild. A new study has found, however, that | | | | over five feet long. Although related to whales and |
| there are actually two separate species of finless | | | | dolphins, their behavior is more subdued, as they tend |
| porpoise, cutting the number of individuals down by half | | | | to be more shy of boats and do less playing in the |
| for each type. One lives in the Yangtze River, making | | | | waves. |
| it the only porpoise to survive in fresh water. This | | | | The finless porpoise is currently considered to be an |
| species is very rare, with approximately 1,000 | | | | endangered species only in China. Their main threats |
| porpoises living. The other lives in sea water, dwelling in | | | | are habit degradation, being caught in fishing nets, and |
| the Yellow Sea and South China Sea. This revelation | | | | enduring the after-effects of dredging lakes. Pollution |
| is hoped to cause more conservation efforts, as each | | | | has also been considered a dangerous threat, as are |
| type of finless porpoise has been found to be closer | | | | boat accidents. Hunting the porpoises has never been |
| to extinction than previously thought. | | | | popular, as most have an aversion to eating the rare |
| The finless porpoise is a midsized marine mammal | | | | species, but when they are accidentally killed by |
| found primarily in coastal Asian waters. Their name | | | | becoming entangled in nets, or as byproducts of illegal |
| stems from their lacking of a dorsal fin, a small ridge in | | | | electric fishing, they are sometimes sold as food. |