Irrawaddy dolphin

Also known as Orcaella brevirostris

species of mammal

AI overview

The Irrawaddy dolphin is a small dolphin species found in rivers and coastal areas of Southeast Asia, particularly in the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. It matters because the species is critically endangered, with only a few hundred individuals remaining, making its survival an important conservation concern.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Endangered

dolphin of the Irawadi

Species

PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCetartiodactyla
FamilyDelphinidae

Habitatmarine, brackish, freshwater

Maximum longevity: 30 years (wild) Observations: One study in the wild estimated age for 18 individuals with the oldest estimated to be around 30 years (Stacey and Arnold 1999).

via IUCN

Wikidata facts

Image: Irrawaddy Dolphin.jpg

Sources (2)

~28 min read

Article

The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in scattered subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. It closely resembles the Australian snubfin dolphin (of the same genus, Orcaella), which was not described as a separate species until 2005. It has a slate blue to a slate gray color. Although found in much of the riverine and marine zones of South and Southeast Asia, the only concentrated lagoon populations are found in Chilika Lake in Odisha, India, and Songkhla Lake in southern Thailand.

Taxonomy