Scribd
Upload
15 views3 pages

Vaquita

The vaquita, scientifically known as Phocoena sinus, is a critically endangered porpoise native to Mexico's Gulf of California, with an estimated population of only 10 individuals remaining. Their decline is primarily due to bycatch from illegal gillnet fishing for totoaba, leading to significant entanglement and drowning. Vaquitas are characterized by their small size, distinctive black patches around their eyes, and a diet consisting of small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

Uploaded by

Aisha Salman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views3 pages

Vaquita

The vaquita, scientifically known as Phocoena sinus, is a critically endangered porpoise native to Mexico's Gulf of California, with an estimated population of only 10 individuals remaining. Their decline is primarily due to bycatch from illegal gillnet fishing for totoaba, leading to significant entanglement and drowning. Vaquitas are characterized by their small size, distinctive black patches around their eyes, and a diet consisting of small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

Uploaded by

Aisha Salman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

:Vaquita:

Scientific Name: Phocoena sinus


Reporter: Anzalna Salman
Native to Mexico, their scientific
name, Phocoena sinus means
“porpoise of the gulf”. Vaquita is Spanish
for “little cow”. Their other common
names are Gulf of California harbor
porpoise, cochito, and vaquita marina.
These mammal can grow up to 1.2 – 1.5 m
(Adult) and weight up to 43kg adult.
Reason of Endangered:
The problem: illegal fishing and trade in
totoaba. The vaquita's tragic decline is due
to unintentional capture in fishing nets, or
'bycatch', with illegal gillnet fishing for
totoaba fish being the key driver of the
sudden and rapid decline in their
numbers. Mexico's Gulf of California —
one of the most biodiverse places on the
planet — teems with 891 species of fish
and a third of the
world's cetacean species, including the
smallest and most
endangered porpoise of Earth: the
vaquita. Scientists say there are likely
only 10 vaquitas left on Earth. Nearly one
out of every five vaquita get entangled and
drown in gillnets intended for other marine
species like the totoaba, a critically
endangered fish also found in the upper
Gulf of California. Entanglement in gillnets
set for totoaba was the primary cause that
brought the vaquita to low levels by the
mid-1970s.
They have black patches around their eye and
lips and small spade-shaped teeth. Vaquitas
also have triangle-shaped dorsal fins in the
middle of their backs, which are taller and
wider than in other porpoises. These fins
might allow vaquitas to reduce their body
temperatures in warm water (NOAA). Vaquitas
feed on small fish, crustaceans (such as
shrimp), and cephalopods (such as squid and
octopuses). Not only is the vaquita incredibly
rare, but it's also incredibly cute and tiny. With
black rings around their eyes and black curved
lips that resemble a smiling panda, the vaquita
is sure to make you say “aww.” The vaquita
was defined as a species by two
zoologists, Kenneth S. Norris and William N.
McFarland, in 1958 after studying the
morphology of skull specimens.

You might also like