Yangtze finless porpoise: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Yangtze finless porpoise lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Neophocaena asiaeorientalis
Group	Whales & dolphins
Status	Endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	Asia
Class	Mammal
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Phocoenidae

Where does the Yangtze finless porpoise live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Yangtze finless porpoise in 2 countries and territories across Asia.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Yangtze finless porpoise endangered?

The Yangtze finless porpoise’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Yangtze finless porpoise?

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is a mammal in the order Artiodactyla and the family Phocoenidae, genus Neophocaena. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Yangtze finless porpoise

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is a species of toothed whale in the family Phocoenidae, the porpoise family. It is endemic to the Yangtze River in China, making it the country's only known freshwater cetacean following the possible extinction of the baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), a freshwater dolphin also native to the Yangtze. The Yangtze finless porpoise is considered critically endangered and it is estimated that only about 1,426 remain as of 2026. This small toothed whale faces many of the same threats as the baiji: high human activity on the Yangtze, such as illegal fishing, pollution, boat traffic, and dam construction. Due to the rapidly declining population of the species, the Chinese government and conservation charities are working to help save it from extinction. According to a 2026 report by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the population of Yangtze finless porpoises has increased by 177 since 2022, thanks to a 10-year fishing ban for the Yangtze River implemented in 2021.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Yangtze finless porpoise (revision 1378908285), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q22286308 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).