Put together, Phocoena sinus is the “porpoise of the Gulf of California.” The species is also known as the cochito, yet this common name is used to describe several marine animals in the geographic area. The name vaquita was popularized from local fishermen’s name for the species.
Scientists first identified the vaquita in 1958. In 1950, University of California scientist Kenneth Norris found a bleached skull on a beach north of Punta San Felipe in Baja, California. A year later, Norris’s colleagues found two more.
The vaquita was first described as a species by two zoologists, Kenneth S. Norris and William N. Mc. Farland, in 1958 after studying the morphology of skull specimens found on the beach. It was not until nearly thirty years later, in 1985, that fresh specimens allowed scientists to describe their external appearance fully.
One more query we ran across in our research was “What does a vaquita look like?”.
Vaquitas have small, strong bodies with a rounded head and no beak. They have black patches around their eyes 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.
What is the scientific name for a vaquita?
Vaquitas were scientifically discovered as a new species in 1958. The vaquita is also called “ vaquita marina ” and the Gulf of California harbor porpoise. Vaquita is Spanish for “little cow” and “vaquita marina” is Spanish for “little sea cow.”. The vaquita, like other porpoises, differs from dolphins in several ways.
The genus Phocoena comprises four species of porpoise, most of which inhabit coastal waters (the spectacled porpoise is more oceanic). The vaquita is most closely related to Burmeister’s porpoise ( Phocoena spinipinnis ) and less so to the spectacled porpoise ( Phocoena dioptrica ), two species limited to the Southern Hemisphere.
The vaquita’s unique facial markings of a black ring around each eye and black curved lips have been compared to a smiling panda. They are dark gray on their dorsal (top) surface with pale gray sides and a white underside with light gray markings.
You’ll know you’re looking at a vaquita if you see a porpoise with a round black patch around his or her eye and black ‘smiling’ lips. Of course, the vaquita isn’t smiling any more than a performing dolphin is, but the shape of their lips makes it look as though they are. Vaquitas have a small, chunky, grey body with paler sides and a white belly.
What does a vaquita fish look like?
These torpedo-shaped marine mammals are dark gray, with a light or white underbelly, and large dark patches around each eye. Vaquitas have a small dorsal fin on their backs, two pectoral fins (one on either side of the body), and a tail fin, also known as a fluke.
The population has dropped drastically in the last few years.
Why is the vaquita endangered?
Vaquitas share waters with the much sought-after totoaba fish and fishing nets inadvertently catch and drown the porpoise.
How many Vaquitas are alive?
The latest report by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) estimates that only between 6 and 22 individuals remained alive in 2018.. It is possible, though, that there no more than 10 vaquitas left . (For comparison, in 1997, the population was estimated to be about 600 individuals strong.).
So, can the vaquita be saved from extinction?
The window of opportunity for saving the vaquita is closing fast, but extinction is still preventable. You can help by making the right choices at the supermarket, by donating to conservation efforts, or simply by spreading the word.
What is the difference between a male and female vaquita?
Females are longer than males, but males have larger fins. Vaquitas have small, strong bodies with a rounded head and no beak. They have black patches around their eyes 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.