Hearing the phrase "porpoise", many are domestic furry rodents like hamsters. But it turns out that this is how they call representatives of the order of cetaceans, outwardly resembling dolphins and living mainly in the s alt waters of most seas and oceans. Some of them are even eaten by humans. Since porpoises of most species are endangered animals, their capture has been banned in recent years. Due to their striking resemblance to dolphins, these families are often confused not only by ordinary people, but also by fauna experts.
Like other aquatic mammals, porpoises are viviparous. Females feed their cubs with milk for quite a long time. Their diet consists mainly of fish, but sometimes includes squid, mollusks and crustaceans.
Varieties of porpoises
Globally they are divided into three groups: featherless, white-winged and ordinary. Representatives of the last of the genera include four species. That is, there are six of them in total. They are very different from each other, both externally and in range.habitat. Some of the species prefer to stay in flocks, while others live alone. There are among them very common marine animals, and those on the verge of extinction. However, genetically they all belong to the same family.
Plumless pig
Got its name from the lack of a dorsal fin. It is considered the smallest dolphin on earth (the rest of the family has it). Its dimensions do not exceed 1.2 meters. A small beakless head with a round forehead is a distinguishing feature of this species. The body is smooth, dark gray (sometimes almost black) in color, sometimes with a slight blue tint. Such porpoises live mainly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the Cape of Good Hope to the coast of Japan. Animals can keep both singly and in small groups.
Pig (marine) common
It is divided into three subspecies that live almost everywhere, from the north of the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific off the coast of the Far East. The harbor porpoise is a typical representative of the fauna of the Black and Azov Seas. Males of these animals are smaller than females, their sizes do not exceed one and a half meters in length. They usually live in groups and feed on fish. Their main feature is that when breathing, they do not jump out of the water. Coloration is usually black or dark grey, with lighter underparts than upper.
The Black Sea porpoise, or Azovka, named due to its habitat, is genetically different from the B altic and Pacific subspecies. Howeveroutwardly they are very similar. Common pigs are the most studied by man, since they are most often kept in captivity in dolphinariums, aquariums and research centers.
Despite the large number of individuals, the commercial catch of these animals is prohibited in most countries (with the exception of Japan, where they are still eaten).
California porpoises
The number of these mammals is catastrophically small. According to scientists, there are no more than 300 individuals left in the wild. For this reason, catching animals is strictly prohibited, but this does not save the situation, since their number is affected by poor ecology and the presence of a large population of sharks in their habitat. They live exclusively in the Gulf of California, where they periodically suffer from fishing nets.
These porpoises are not very large - up to 150 cm in length and 50 kg in weight. They have a gray body with large black "glasses" around the eyes. The lower part, like most members of the family, is lighter than the upper. The herd animal is quite slow, avoiding noise, people and everything connected with them.
Argentine variety
Named for its habitat. Lives mainly in the waters of the Pacific Ocean near South America, sometimes found in the Atlantic. It differs from its relatives in the ability to live in a freshwater environment for quite a long time. Argentine porpoises often swim in estuaries in search of prey. They can stay there for weeksmoving upstream up to 50 km.
Unlike their relatives, these whales love being alone. They have rather large powerful bodies (up to 180 cm in length). The color of the body is dark gray with a barely noticeable enlightenment towards the bottom. The main food of the animal is fish and squid.
Spectacled pig
She is also Atlantic, she got her first name, thanks to the dark circles around the eyes, reminiscent of glasses. The second is because of the habitat. This large animal (up to 2.2 meters in length) lives in small groups near the shore. It lives mainly in the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean, but is also found in the Indian (near the Kerguelen archipelago) and the Pacific (off the coast of Tasmania and South Australia).
Different from brothers by a sharp transition of the black color of the back to the white belly. It looks like a young killer whale, but is not so aggressive in behavior. The eyes, located on a black head, are surrounded by white "glasses". Feeds on fish, crustaceans, molluscs.
White-winged porpoise
This largest member of the family grows up to 2 meters in length, and gains up to 220 kg in weight. Lives in the Bering, Okhotsk and Japan seas. Animals keep in groups of up to 20 individuals, feed on fish and shellfish. They lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. They often keep killer whales company while hunting. Diving, they can reach a depth of half a kilometer, and, rising to the surface, they do not jump out of the water completely.
White spots on the sides of the black body - the main "specialsign ", thanks to which this porpoise got its name. Dolphin can be covered with other, not so large light marks on the body. Sometimes completely black individuals are also found.
Life in captivity
Because trapping of most species of cetaceans is prohibited, they are rarely kept in artificial conditions. Basically, we are talking about oceanariums, research centers, dolphinariums and maritime theaters. Although the intelligence of animals cannot be called weak, they learn with great difficulty. For this reason, they are rarely used in performances.
Lack of freedom of movement and cramped space are extremely poorly tolerated by porpoises. With the wrong content, they often yearn, get sick and may even die. Feeding these pets can be difficult. After all, their daily diet includes fresh fish. The porpoise is a predator, and fastidious and gluttonous.
Human activity mainly affects the population of porpoises of all varieties. They suffer from environmental disasters, illegal fishing, and sometimes die, accidentally falling into the net. In some countries, they are still hunted using animal meat as food. But in most states, their capture is prohibited by law, and certain pen alties are provided for violation.
Porpoises are mammals that, along with dolphins, belong to toothed whales. However, there is no clear boundary between these two families. All of them are predators. Some stay in groupsothers prefer loneliness, eat fish and other marine life. In captivity, they live rarely and reluctantly, they are difficult to train. Some of the species are quite numerous, while others are on the verge of extinction.
