Ganges river dolphin

Ganges river dolphin
Temporal range: 0.012–0 Ma
↓
Early Holocene – present[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Platanistidae
Genus: Platanista
Species:
P. gangetica
Binomial name
Platanista gangetica
(Lebeck, 1801)
Ranges of the Indus river dolphin and Ganges river dolphin
Synonyms

Platanista gangetica gangetica

The Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is a species of freshwater dolphin classified in the family Platanistidae. It lives in the Ganges and related rivers of South Asia, namely in the countries of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.[3] It is related to the much smaller Indus river dolphin which lives in the Indus River in Pakistan and the Beas River of northwestern India.[4]

It is also known by the name susu (popular name) also hihu or huhu (Assamese: শিশু, শুশুক) in Assam and shushuk (Bengali: শুশুক) in West Bengal and Bangladesh.[5] The Ganges river dolphin has been recognized by the Government of India as its National Aquatic Animal[6] and is the official animal of the Indian city of Guwahati.[7] Its first occurrence, within the Hooghly River, was documented by William Roxburgh.[8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference fossilworks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Kelkar, N.; Smith, B.D.; Alom, M.Z.; Dey, S.; Paudel, S. & Braulik, G.T. (2022). "Platanista gangetica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T41756A50383346. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T41756A50383346.en. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  3. ^ WWF. "WFF Ganges river Dolphin". WFF Conservation.
  4. ^ "Signs of hope as population of endangered Indus River dolphin jumps in Pakistan". WWF. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  5. ^ "Susu, the blind purpoise ... in the Ganges River, blind porpoise of Asia". The New Book of Knowledge, Grolier Incorporated. 1977., page 451 [letter A] and page 568 [letter S].
  6. ^ "Declaration of Gangetic Dolphin as National Aquatic Animal" (PDF). Government of India – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Gangetic river dolphin to be city animal of Guwahati". The Times of India. 6 June 2016.
  8. ^ Sinha K., Ravindra (2014). "Ganges River Dolphin: An Overview of Biology, Ecology, and Conservation Status in India". Journal of Biology. 43 (8): 1029–1046. Bibcode:2014Ambio..43.1029S. doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0534-7. PMC 4235892. PMID 24924188.