What is the scientific name of the Amazon river dolphin, commonly called the pink river dolphin?

The scientific name of the Amazon river dolphin, commonly called the pink river dolphin, is Inia geoffrensis. It is a freshwater cetacean found in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems.

Adults may appear pink, especially males, because their skin becomes more exposed and vascular with age. Individuals can also be grey or mottled. Unlike ocean dolphins, Amazon river dolphins have flexible necks and broad flippers that help them manoeuvre among submerged roots and branches.

The species is threatened by habitat alteration, fishing interactions, pollution and deliberate killing in some places. “Pink dolphin” is a common name, not a separate species name. A related tucuxi also lives in the Amazon, but it generally has a smaller, more streamlined body.