River dolphin

This article is about the river dolphins. For the oceanic dolphins, see Oceanic dolphin.

River dolphins
Ganges River Dolphin Photographer:Brian D. Smith
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea
Suborder:	Odontoceti
Superfamily:	Platanistoidea
Families
See text

River dolphins are four species (types) of dolphin which live in fresh water rivers and estuaries. Three species live in fresh water rivers. The fourth species, the La Plata Dolphin, lives in salt water estuaries and the ocean.

• Ganges River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica - Lives in Republic of India, Bangladesh
• Indus River Dolphin, Platanista minor - Lives in Pakistan; National mammal of Pakistan.
• Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis - Largest of river dolphins, lives in Peru and Brazil.
• Chinese River Dolphin (or Baiji), Lipotes vexillifer - Lives in the Yangtze River in China (one of the most endangered of all dolphins and whales). According to [1] recent counts have come up with 17 remaining individuals. Scientists now want to raise some dolphins in a lake.
• La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei - Lives in Argentina.

Taxonomy

The following is the taxonomy of river dolphins, or how dolphins are classified:

How dolphins were classified by Rice (1998)

• Superfamily Platanistoidea
  • Family Platanistidae
    • Ganges River Dolphin and the Indus Dolphin Platanista gangetica and Platanista minor minor
  • Family Iniidae
    • Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto) Inia geoffrensis
  • Family Lipotidae
    • Chinese River Dolphin (or Baiji) Lipotes vexillifer
  • Family Pontoporiidae
    • La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana) Pontoporia blainvillei

How dolphins used to be classified

• Superfamily Platanistoidea
  • Family Platanistidae
    • Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica
    • Indus River Dolphin Platanista minor
  • Family Iniidae
    • Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto) Inia geoffrensis
  • Family Lipotidae
    • Chinese River Dolphin (or Baiji) Lipotes vexillifer
  • Family Pontoporiidae
    • La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana) Pontoporia blainvillei