Yangtze Finless Porpoise

The Yangtze finless porpoise is a small freshwater toothed whale with a rounded forehead, no beak and no dorsal fin. Instead, its back carries a narrow ridge covered with raised tubercles that have sensory and hydrodynamic functions. The body is stocky through the middle and tapers toward the tail. Adults are generally 150–180cm long and around 45kg, although substantially larger individuals have been recorded. (Wikipedia, general species account)

This porpoise is confined to China's Yangtze River and connected lakes, including Poyang and Dongting. It often uses riverbanks, confluences and shallow waters and is most visibly active while feeding. Its diet changes with seasonal prey availability and consists principally of freshwater fish. Females bear no more than one calf. The species is recognized as a Grade I national key protected species in China. (Wikipedia, general species account; Xu et al. 2025)