Dall's porpoise
Weißflankenschweinswal
The Weißflankenschweinswal ( Phocoenoides dalli ) or Dall Hafenschweinswal (named after William Healey Dall ) is a cetacean of the family of porpoises ( Phocoenidae ). The type came in the 1970s in the headlines as the first time it was announced that in the salmon fishery each year thousands of animals die by being caught and drown in the nets.
Dissemination
Dall's porpoises are found in the northern Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. In the south of their range extends in the east to the Baja California peninsula, in the west to southern Japan. Walks are known, in summer they keep on in more northern areas, while they migrate south in winter.
Description
The harbor porpoise achieved grown a body length from 1.9 to 2.4 meters and weighs 170-210 pounds. He is the heaviest porpoise.
The Weißflankenschweinswal owes its name to a white cross that extends from the stomach to the dorsal fin, while the top is black. White colored is also the tip of the fin. The coloring of animals is similar to that of the Orca.
Way of life
With a top speed of up to 55 km / h, they are among the fastest swimmers of all whales. They move away in a zig -zag patterns. They live in small schools from two to ten animals in rich feeding grounds but can be several hundred of these animals gather. Their diet consists mainly of squid and fish. Since tiefseebewohnende species have been found in their stomachs, it is believed that they are good divers. This whale is about 15 years old.
Hybrid
1998 found the fetus of a whale in British Columbia (Canada), who was a hybrid between Weißflankenschweinswal or ordinary porpoise, according to DNA tests. Perhaps such hybrids are more common, it would explain a number of atypical stained specimens that have been sighted near Vancouver Iceland.
Threat
The greatest threat to this species of whale is the whale, which, as the whaling moratorium for many large whale species occurred since the mid- 1980s in force, is operated strengthened. In 1988, with 45,000 animals killed in the climax, is currently subject to an annual quota of 18,000 animals. Since the whaling is almost exclusively operated from Japan, especially the animals of the western Pacific are threatened. Even still many animals die as bycatch in fishing nets, the extent to which this factor affects the entire population, is not precisely known.