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spectacled porpoise

The Spectacled Porpoise

  • 13 August, 2024
  • Critterman
  • No Comments
  • 90 Views
  • 1 Likes
Daily Critter Facts, Porpoise Facts, Sea Mammal Facts

The spectacled porpoise is a small to medium sized, very understudied porpoise species indigenous to the temperate, sub-Antarctic, and Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. The reason they are so poorly studied is due to their locale. These porpoises face the threats of overfishing, bycatch, and accidental capture. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern, but their population trend is unknown.

First the Stats…

Scientific name: Phocoena dioptrica
Weight: Up to 240 lbs.
Length: Up to 7.22 feet
Lifespan: Up to 20 years

Now on to the Facts!

1.) Like other porpoise species, these critters have no beak.

2.) Very few observations of these cetaceans have been made at sea. Most of them have come from beached specimens.

3.) It is believed that these critters prey on various fishes and squids.

4.) Just like other porpoises, it is presumed that the spectacled porpoise births a single calf.

5.) The calf is estimated to measure up to 39 inches.

But wait, there’s more on the spectacled porpoise!

6.) No intel is currently available regarding gestation (pregnancy), lactation, or inter-birth intervals (the time between births).

7.) A group of porpoises is called a crowd, gam, herd, pod, school, shoal, or turmoil.

Did you know…?
Some porpoises can swim up to 34 mph!

8.) These porpoises were named by the French naturalist Fernando Lihille in 1912 for their 2 distinct black eye patches.

9.) The Latin dioptrica means “spectacled”.

10.) Another name for these critters is marsopa de anteojos – Spanish for spectacled porpoise.

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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN

Photo credit: Ocean Treasures Memorial Library

cetaceanleast concernmammaloceanporpoiseporpoisesseaSouthern Oceanspectacledspectacled porpoise
Critterman

With over 50 years of critter experience to my credit and hundreds of zoology teaching hours to people around the world, I have amassed not only a continuing thirst for critter knowledge but a desire to teach others all I can about the majesty and wonder of our natural world. Critter Science is a culmination of such knowledge. I have hands on as well as book acquired intel on all kinds of critters. Whether they're on land, sea, or in the air. I will never say that I know everything about all animals. That's impossible, even for a savant. But, that being said, ask me any animal question and I'll answer it. If I don't know the answer, I'll get an answer for you!

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