INDUS & GANGES RIVER DOLPHIN

INDUS & GANGES RIVER DOLPHIN

Subject: Environment

Context: Detailed analysis of South Asian river dolphins has revealed that the Indus and Ganges River dolphins are not one, but two separate species.

Concept:

Indus Dolphin

• Scientific Name: Platanista minor.
• Habitat: Indus river dolphins are one of only four river dolphin species and subspecies in the world that spend all of their lives in freshwater.
• Distribution: The Indus river dolphin is the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. At present, there are only around 1,800 of these in the Indus in Pakistan. Their population in the Beas River is between eight to 10.
• IUCN status: Endangered.

Characteristics:

• Indus Dolphins are brown/grey in colour.
• They are functionally blind and rely on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey including prawns, catfish and carp.
• They live for at least for 30 years and grow over 2 metres in length.

Gangetic Dolphins

• Scientific Name: Platanista gangetica
• The Ganges River Dolphin was officially discovered in 1801.
• IUCN Status : Endangered
• Ganges river dolphins live in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
• The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind.
• They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an image in their mind. They are also called ‘susu’.
• It is a reliable indicator of the health of the entire river ecosystem.
• It was recognised as the National Aquatic Animal in 2009, by the Government of India.