Phocoenidae

Cetacean Family

• Phocoenidae (porpoises)
   

Species in this Family

• Neophocaena phocaenoides – Finless porpoise                 
• Neophocaena asiaeorientalis – Narrow-ridged porpoise
• Phocoena phocoena – Harbor porpoise
• Phocoena sinus – Vaquita porpoise
• Phocoena spinipinnis – Burmeister porpoise
• Phocoena dioptrica – Spectacled porpoise
• Phocoenoides dalli – Dall’s porpoise
   

Dall’s porpoise. Image by Uko Gorter

Characteristics

• No beak
• Triangular dorsal fin
• Spade-shaped teeth
• 3 - 8 feet (0.9 - 2.4 m)
• Use echolocation , grab then suck down their food
• 65 - 250 pounds (29 - 113 kg)
• Thick bodies
• Between 60 – 120 teeth
• Eat fish , shrimp and squid
• Travel in small groups of six
   

Interesting Facts

• Shy Creatures
• Called the “Sea Hog”
• Some are the smallest cetaceans in the world
• Some species are marked with black, white and grey
• Consume about 8% of their body weight to survive each day
• Communicate at frequencies beyond range of human hearing
   

Habitat Range

• In all coastal oceans but the north and south pole

Harbor porpoise. Photo by Bill Curtsinger

Threats to survival                                                               

• Noise pollution
• Entanglement
• Fishing gear
• Chemicals
• Humans
• Orca Whales
• Sharks
   

Life Expectancy

• Known to live 12 to 23 years
   

Cited Resources

• Carwardine, Mark. Whales Dolphins and Porpoises. London: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., 1995. Print.
• “Society for Marine Mammalogy – List of Marine Mammal Species and Subspecies.” Society for Marine Mammalogy – Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2012 http://www.marinemammalscience.org
• http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html
• www.worldwidewhale.com