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Irrawaddy Dolphin
Size comparison with an average human

conservation-status
http://www.answers.com/topic/vulnerable-species (http://www.answers.com/topic/iucn-red-list)http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-IUCN-0

http://www.answers.com/topic/infraclass Kingdom: http://www.answers.com/topic/stuffed-animal
Phylum: http://www.answers.com/topic/chordate
Class: http://www.answers.com/topic/mammal
Order: http://www.answers.com/topic/cetacean
Family: http://www.answers.com/topic/oceanic-dolphin
Genus: orcaella
Species: O. brevirostris
http://www.answers.com/topic/binomial-nomenclature Orcaella brevirostris
http://www.answers.com/topic/richard-owen in http://www.answers.com/topic/john-edward-gray, 1866http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-ITIS-1
Orcaella genus range map
See: Irrawaddy Dolphin
Geographic Range Map

The Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is a http://www.answers.com/topic/euryhaline-1 species of http://www.answers.com/topic/oceanic-dolphin found in discontinuous sub-populations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the http://www.answers.com/topic/bay-of-bengal and http://www.answers.com/topic/southeast-asia.

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// Etymology and Taxonomic History

The Irrawaddy Dolphin was first described by http://www.answers.com/topic/richard-owen in 1866 based on a specimen found in 1852, in the harbour of http://www.answers.com/topic/visakhapatnam on the east coast of http://www.answers.com/topic/india.http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-Sinha-2 It is one of two species in its genus. It has sometimes been listed variously in a family containing just itself and in http://www.answers.com/topic/monodontidae-1 and in http://www.answers.com/topic/oceanic-dolphin. There is now widespread agreement to list it in the http://www.answers.com/topic/oceanic-dolphin family.

Genetically the Irrawaddy Dolphin is closely related to the http://www.answers.com/topic/orca. The species name brevirostris comes from the http://www.answers.com/topic/latin meaning short-beaked. In 2005, genetic analysis showed that the http://www.answers.com/topic/australian-snubfin-dolphin found at the coast of northern http://www.answers.com/topic/australia forms a second species in the Orcaella genus.

Overall grey to dark slate blue, paler underneath. No distinctive pattern. Dorsal fin small and rounded behind middle of back. Forehead high and rounded; beak lacking. Broad rounded flippers. The similar species that can be found in http://www.answers.com/topic/borneo is the http://www.answers.com/topic/finless-porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides, is similar and has no back fin: the http://www.answers.com/topic/humpback-dolphin, Sausa chinensis, is larger, has longer beak and larger dorsal fin.http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-Sinha-2

The several common names for Orcaella brevirostris(http://www.answers.com/topic/binomial-nomenclature) include: http://www.answers.com/topic/english-language: Irrawaddy dolphin, Local Chilika dialect: Baslnyya Magar or Bhuasuni Magar (oil yielding dolphin), http://www.answers.com/topic/oriya-language: Khem and Kherairrawaddy-dolphin-1 http://www.answers.com/topic/french-language: Orcelle, http://www.answers.com/topic/spanish-language: Delfín del Irrawaddy, http://www.answers.com/topic/german-language: Irrawadi Delphin, http://www.answers.com/topic/burmese-language: Labai, http://www.answers.com/topic/indonesian-language: Pesut, http://www.answers.com/topic/malay-language: Lumbalumba, http://www.answers.com/topic/khmer-language: Ph'sout, http://www.answers.com/topic/lao-language: Pha'ka and http://www.answers.com/topic/filipino-language: Lampasut.http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-CMS-3 In http://www.answers.com/topic/thai-language, one of its names is pía loma hooa baht, because its rounded head is thought to resemble the shape of a Buddhist monk's bowl, a hooa baht.http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-Stacey-4

Description

Irrawaddy dolphins are similar to the http://www.answers.com/topic/beluga-whale in appearance, though most closely related to the http://www.answers.com/topic/orca. They have a large http://www.answers.com/topic/melon-whale and a blunt, rounded head, and the beak is indistinct. The http://www.answers.com/topic/dorsal-fin, located about two-thirds posterior along the back, is short, blunt and triangular. The flippers are long and broad. It is lightly coloured all over, but slightly more white on the underside than the back. Adult weight exceeds 130 kg (287 lb) kg and length is 2.3 m (8 ft) m at full maturity. Maximum recorded length is 2.75 m (9 ft) of a male from Thailand.http://www.answers.com/topic/irrawaddy-dolphin-1#cite_note-Stacey-4

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