Burmeister's Porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis) is a In biology, a species is a kind of organism. Loosely speaking, a species is a related group of organisms that share a more or less distinctive form and are capable of interbreeding. As defined by Ernst Mayr, species are groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively... species of Genera Neophocaena Phocoena - Harbor porpoises Phocoenoides - Dalls porpoises The porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are however distinct from dolphins, although the word porpoise is often used to refer to any small dolphin, especially in North America. A key... porpoise endemic to the coast of South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It became attached to North America only recently, geologically speaking, with the formation of the Isthmus of Panama... South America. It was first described by Hermann Burmeister, for whom the species is named, in 1865.

Population and distribution

Whilst Burmeister's Porpoise seems to be relatively common in its range, little work has been done to survey the species. Its range appears to be continuous in coastal waters from northern The Republic of Peru (Spanish: Perú; Quechua, Aymara: Piruw) is a country in western South America, bordering with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Peru is rich... Peru in the The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. It encompasses a third of the Earths surface, having an area of 179.7 million km² (69.4 million sq... Pacific round Tierra del Fuego (Spanish: land of fire) is an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America. In 1881 it was divided between Argentina and Chile. The archipelago consists of a main island (Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, often called Tierra del Fuego as well), and a group of... Tierra del Fuego and upto southern The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America, and fifth largest in the world. Spanning a vast area between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, it borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela... Brazil in the The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. The oceans name, derived from Greek mythology, means the Sea of Atlas. This ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending in a north-south direction and is divided into the North Atlantic... Atlantic. The total population is at least in the tens of thousands. Whilst usually described as staying very close to the sure, individuals have been spotted as far as 50km from the shore and in the freshwater Valivia River in southern Chile.

Physical description

Most photographs of Burmeister's Porpoises are taken of dead specimens and show the animal to be coloured black. This phenomenon gave rise to the earlier common name, the Black Porpoise. However live individuals are typically a dark grey colour. They turn black in just a few minutes after death. The underside varies in colour but is usually a lighter grey. Burmeister's are about 150cm long when fully mature and weigh 50-75kg. The maximum recorded weight is that of a female at 105kg. They have a shallow indentation at their blowhole set just in front of the eyes. The shape and placement of the Dorsal Fin of the Orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. Its main purpose is to stabilise the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns. Some animals have developed dorsal fins with protective functions, such as spines or venom... dorsal fin is unusual for a cetacean - it is triangular rather than curved and points backwards more than upwards. It is located about three-quarters of the way along the back - further back than any other dolphin or porpoise. These features are sufficient to distinguish the porpoise from the similar-sized Binomial name Cephalorhynchus eutropia Chilean Dolphin range The Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia), also known as the Black Dolphin (although this name has fallen out of favour in scientific circles), is one of four dolphins in the Cephalorhynchus genus. The dolphin is only found off the coast of Chile. Physical description... Chilean Dolphin which is found in the porpoise's Pacific range.

Behaviour

Burmeister's Porpoise is difficult to observe. It appears to be shy, shows little of its body when surfacing and will move quickly away from approaching boats. They are typically seen alone or in pairs with occasional larger groups. One report from Chile saw a group of 70 in number. The porpoise feeds on various pelagic fish such as The anchovies are a family (Engraulidae) of small but common fish. Their distribution is worldwide. Anchovies are an important food fish, both popular and unpopular for their strong flavor. They are a key ingredient in Caesar salad and common as a pizza topping. Because of the strong flavour they are... anchovies, The term hake refers to various fish in the families Gadidae (subfamily Phycinae) and Merlucciidae (both subfamilies Merlucciinae and Steindachneriinae). Merluccius bilinearis - Silver Hake Silver Hake grows to a length of 30 inches (75 cm) and up to 5 lb (2.3 kg). It has a brown coloration with some... hake and A mackerel is any one of a number of different species of fish, mostly in the family Scombridae. They occur in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) enter bays and can be caught near bridges... mackerel.

Conservation

Like all porpoises, Burmeister's is vulnerable to accidental capture in fishing nets. This is common in The Republic Eastern of the Uruguay (Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay), is a Spanish speaking country located in southern South America. The nation is triangular in shape and is bordered by Brazil to the north, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Rio de la Plata... Uruguay, The Republic of Peru (Spanish: Perú; Quechua, Aymara: Piruw) is a country in western South America, bordering with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Peru is rich... Peru and The Republic of Chile is a country located on the southwestern coast of South America. It is a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It shares borders with Argentina to the east, Bolivia to the northeast and Peru to the north. National... Chile. The annual estimated catch is largest in Peru, at 2000 individuals [5]. Burmeister's are also harpooned deliberately for food and for use as shark bait. The The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. Founded in 1948, its headquarters is located in Gland, Switzerland. The IUCN brings together 78 states, 112 government agencies, 735 NGOs and thousands of experts and... IUCN lists the animal as data deficient in its The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It is maintained by the IUCN. The IUCN Red List is set... Red List of Threatened Species and the long-term of these actions is unknown.

References

1. Burmeister's Porpoise in the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, J.C. Reyes, 1998. pages 177-179. ISBN 0125513402
2. National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals Reeves et al, 2002. ISBN 0375411410
3. Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, Carwardine, 1995. ISBN 0751327816
4. Phocoena spinipinnis, Brownell and Praderi Mammal Species vol 217 pages 1-4, 1984.
5. Aspects of the biology of Burmeister's Porpoise from Peru Reyes and Can Waerebeek, 1995. Report of the International Whaling Commission. Special Issue 16.
6. A description and image of Burmeister's Porpoise from phocoena.org (http://phocoena.org/factsheets/burmeister.html)