Which Chinese river is home to the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise?

The Yangtze finless porpoise lives in the Yangtze River. It is a freshwater cetacean endemic to China and is the country’s only known freshwater cetacean since the likely extinction of the baiji, or Yangtze river dolphin.

The porpoise occupies the river’s main channel and connected lakes, including Dongting and Poyang lakes. Unlike many marine mammals, it is not a regular long-distance migrant. It usually favors shallow bays, wetlands, riverbanks, and places where waterways meet.

Its name can cause confusion because “finless” refers to the absence of a dorsal fin, not the absence of fins altogether. The species uses ultrasonic echolocation rather than the whistles commonly associated with dolphins. Major threats include boat traffic, underwater noise, pollution, habitat loss, dams, sand mining, and entanglement in fishing gear.

Conservation reserves and fishing restrictions have helped protect some populations, but the species remains critically endangered. Its survival is closely tied to the health of the entire Yangtze basin.