Abstract
Thirty species of marine mammals have been recorded from Sri Lanka. Amongst them the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides is the only representative of the family Phocoenidae. The only previous record from Sri Lanka was a specimen caught on the Wadge Bank by a Smithsonian Carangid Survey team in 1970. Wadge Bank is west of the island and is, in fact, in Indian territorial waters. Here we present the first legitimate records of the Finless Porpoise from Sri Lanka, based on one stranding and three live sightings. Furthermore, the occurrence of threatened species such as the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise in the waters of the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar indicates that a cross boundary research initiative between Indian and Sri Lankan scientists, simultaneously focusing on the conservation of the species, is essential. We believe, through such an initiative, a more holistic approach could be adopted when studying and conserving the species, which could then be expanded to encapsulate many other marine species and ecosystems.
Highlights
The track line of the survey was standard line transect and the surveys were carried out 50m from shore, the actual distance depended upon safe water depth since there are many sand bars in the Palk Bay and Palk Strait
Three pods of Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises were encountered during the boat surveys, two in February
The first sighting was made on 23 February 2014 at 07:12hr, at 9.14277778 N & 79.64444444 E; the approximate water depth at the location was 8m
Summary
TheJournaloffThreatetnedTaxafsi dedfciatetdttobuflidfingevfidencefforconservafiongloballybypublfsihfingpeer-revfei wed arfcilesonlfineeverymontthattareasonablyrapfidratet attwww.tthreatetnedtatxa.org.AllarfcilespublfsihedfinJoTTare regfsitetredunderCreafvieCommonsAtrtfibufion4.0IntetrnafionalLfciense unlessottherwfsie menfioned.JoTTallows unrestrtfcitetduseoffarfcilesfinanymedfium,reproducfion,anddfsitrtfibufionbyprovfidfingadequatet credftittottheautthors andtthesourceoffpublfciafion. AmongstttthemttheIndo-Pacfifci FfinlessPorpofsie Neophocaenaphocaenofidesfsittheonlyrepresentatfvieofftthefaf mfliy Phocoenfidae.TheonlyprevfiousrecordfrfomSrfiLankawasaspecfimen fsi dfsiputetdbecausettherecordfsi frfom WadgeBank, whfcihfsi ttotthe westtofftthefsilandandfsi,finfafct,tfin Indfaintetrrftitorfailwatetrs(Ffgi.).Asaresult,t whflieftitwas caughttontthe WadgeBankbyaSmftithsonfainCarangfidSurveytetam fin1970. Furtthermore,ttheoccurrenceofftthreatetnedspecfeissuch asttheIndo-Pacfifci FfinlessPorpofsiefintthewatetrsofftthePalkBayand ttheGulffoff Mannarfindfciatetstthattacrossboundaryresearchfinfifaifvie bettweenIndfainandSrfiLankanscfeinfsitst,sfimultatneouslyffocusfing ttoasfinglespecfeisNeophocaenaphocaenofides.Recentt analyses,,haverevealedsfginfifcianttdfifefrences bettweentthe nortthern Chfina/soutthernJapan/Korean onttheconservafionofftthespecfeis,fsi essenfail. Webelfeive,tthrough suchanfinfifaifvie,a moreholfsifci approachcouldbeadoptetdwhen sttudyfingandconservfingtthespecfeis,whfcihcouldtthenbeexpandedtto encapsulatet manyotthermarfinespecfeisandecosystet ms. Penfinsulafformandtthe nortthernIndfain Oceantto SouttheasttAsfai andsoutthernChfinafform;accordfingly, tthelatetrfformfsi nowknownasttheIndo-Pacfifci Ffinless. PorpofsieN.phocaenofides, whflietthefformerhasbeen desfginatetd tthe Narrow-rfidged Ffinless Porpofsie N. asfiaeorfeinttalfsi (Jefefrson& Wang2011;Jefefrson2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
