Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins / Chinese White Dolphin / Pink Dolphin

Scientific Name		Sousa chinensis
English Common Name		Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin / Chinese White Dolphin / Pink dolphin
Taxonomy		Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Sub-order: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Sousa Species: chinensis The taxonomy and systematic relationships of Humpback dolphins are highly confused due to a lack of data and samples from large portions of the range of the genus. The current view is of two species (S. teuszii in West Africa and S. chinensis in the Indo-Pacific).
Behaviour		Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins are usually “boat shy” and do not bow-ride. They are not the most acrobatic of species and tend to keep “out of water” activity to a minimum.  Can be either solitary or found in small group sizes of between 5 and 10 individuals.
World Distribution		Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphins occur primarily in shallow, nearshore waters, often with the highest densities found near river mouths. Their geographic range extends throughout the coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, from South Africa in the west to northern Australia and southern China in the east.
Morphology		Although all calves are born a dark grey colour, as they mature Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphins can vary in colour from white to pink or varying shades of grey. Although not an absolute rule, populations in the eastern part of their range tend to be lighter in colouration and those in the western part tend to be darker. The name “Humpback” comes from a fatty dorsal hump on top of which lies the dorsal fin – a small triangular fin that slopes backwards. In some individuals the base can be more than one third of their body length. Variation in hump size also exists between the populations with those found in the west having a prominent hump and those in the east lacking a prominent hump. Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphins are robust animals with long, slender beaks and a slightly rounded melon. Adults grow to about 2 - 2.8m, and weigh between 150 – 200kg. Newborns are about 1m in length and in the region of 25kg. Their diet consists of fish and shrimp.
Threats		The primary threats for this species are varied depending on their geographical location. Those populations living in the South China Sea are threatened by vessel collision, habitat loss and degradation, chemical pollution and prey depletion. Other populations face similar threats and there is documentation of individuals being hunted for their meat.
Status		No abundance estimate is available for this species however various isolated population sizes are known with an average of 100 individuals.
Conservation Activities		CMS Appendix II IUCN – Data Deficient