Black Finless Porpoise

(Neomeris phocaenoides), a mammal of the family Delphinidae. The body is up to 1.6 m long; along the ridge of the spine is a narrow (3–6 cm) band of horny protuberances. The head is globe-shaped. There are up to 20 pairs of teeth in the upper and lower jaws. The body coloration is leaden black, with a lighter abdomen. The black finless porpoise lives in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, usually not far from shore. In the waters of the USSR it is possible to encounter the animal in the Sea of Japan and near the southern Kurile Islands. As a rule, it stays in small groups (four or five) or is alone. It is found in large rivers. The basic food is small fish, shrimp, and benthic cephalopod mollusks. The animal’s commercial significance is very small.