Mammals · Artiodactyla · Phocoenidae

Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Its scientific name 'Phocoena' comes from the Greek for 'pig fish', and genetically it is closer to the beluga and the narwhal than to the true dolphins.

Weight

45 kg – 70 kg

Size

1.5 m – 2 m

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Variable activity Solitary Ocean Mammal

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Fun facts

It split from its ancestral lineage some 15 million years ago.
It feeds on small fish and squid.
It lives in shallow, temperate to cold coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere.
comportamientoUnlike many dolphins it does not form large social groups, approach boats or leap acrobatically; it is a far more retiring cetacean and much harder to see.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Shallow, temperate to cold coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere
Birth weight: 6-8 kg and 70-100 cm long at birth
Size at birth: 6-8 kg and 70-100 cm at birth
Sexual maturity: 3-5 years
Gestation / incubation: 10-11 months
Litter / clutch size: 1 calf per birth (yearly)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 20.4 years

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; A-Z Animals; Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Biology Insights; Porpoise Research Library; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); SEAMAP Duke