Phocoena phocoena

• Main Authors: Russell A. Mittermeier, Don E. Wilson
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2014
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Cetacea; Phocoenidae; Phocoena; Phocoena phocoena; Pacific; Stripe; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6607576; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6607576

6. Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena French: Marsouin commun / German: Schweinswal / Spanish: Marsopa comun Other common names: Common Porpoise, Sea-hog, Sea-pig; Atlantic Harbor Porpoise, North Atlantic Harbor Porpoise (phocoena); Black Sea Harbor Porpoise (relicta); Eastern North Pacific Harbor Porpoise, Eastern Pacific Harbor Porpoise (vomerina) Taxonomy. Delphinus phocaena Linnaeus, 1758, “Habitat in Oceano Europao & Balthico” (= Baltic Sea, “Swedish Seas”). In addition to the subspecies listed below, there is also an unnamed subspecies recognized from the western North Pacific Ocean. Three subspecies recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. P.p.phocoenaLinnaeus,1758—coastalwatersoftheNAtlanticOcean. P.p.relictaAbel,1905—coastalwatersof theBlackSea,theAzovandMarmaraseas(isolatedpopulation).AfewstragglersfromthispopulationshowupperiodicallyintheAegeanSea,buttheydonotoccurthroughoutmostoftheMediterraneanSea. P.p. vomerina Gill, 1865 — coastal waters of the NE Pacific Ocean. A still unnamed form is present in the coastal waters of the NW Pacific Ocean. Descriptive notes. Total length 130-200 cm; weight 45-75 kg. Harbor Porpoises are small cetaceans, growing to a maximum length of only ¢.200 cm. Most adults are less than 180 cm long. Body is robust, with small appendages. There are small tubercles (or denticles) on the leading edge of the dorsal fin and sometimes also on flippers. Beak is very short and poorly defined, and dorsalfin is low, triangular, and wide-based. Color pattern is somewhat bland at first appearance, but it is actually more complex when analyzed in detail. Body is generally counter-shaded, with a dark gray back and white belly. Generally, dark and pale regions blend into each other, but margins between the two are often splotchy and streaked. Appendages are all dark, and there is a dark stripe running from gape to flipper, and there are also dark streaks on the lower jaw. There is a great deal of individual variation in color pattern, but no obvious differences among different populations ...