Scientific name:
Phocoenidae

Natural spread:
America, Africa, Eurasia

from the pig-whales is north and South America 3 types in flat coast-waters of Eurasia, Africa, with together 6 types as well as even in antarctic areas at home.

Type Phocoena Occasionally, pig-whales of the type Phocoena advance also in bigger rivers.

Shape It is 1,2-1,8 m big, 50-75 kg heavy and fully black to brown or also under-page white colored whales, that itself through its triangular one(s), until 15 cm high back-fin, 16-27 spade-shaped bekronte teeth of each jaw-half and the absence of a preferred muzzle of the actual dolphins distinguishes. Also, the pig-whales, who live together in schools up to 100 animals, are less than other dolphins gambled away; of driving past ships, they take care usually not at all.

Reproduction The combination-time is in the late-night-spring until summers; after 9-1 months, a 0,7 m long young was born and approximately 8 for months is nursed. With 11/4 years, these pig-whales become sexually mature; the valued maximum-age amounts to 15 years.

Types The brown-fish or little one porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are the most frequent whale of the European coasts. it likes to be in harbors and estuaries, u also penetrates far, however. a. into the Elbe, Schelde or Thames one. its food consists of fishings until 30 cm of length, Kopffüßern and cancer-animals. Sharks and sword-whales are natural enemies, but also the people put time after the pig-whale for a long time. Nowadays, pig-whales don't have any more economic meaning. Also in the western Atlantic before west-Africa and in the Pacific, from Alaska until South-California, this type is native, during Ph. sine occurs only in the golf from California. The Burmeister-Schweinswal (Ph). spinipinnis, horn lives in South America's coasts of the La Plata around cape as far as after Peru around, while the glasses-pig-whale (Ph). dioptrica, from the La Plata as far as to South-Georgia (Antarctica) is found.

Type Phocoenoides In the North-Pacific, the Dall-Hafenschweinswal (Phocoenoides pronto) lives, that occurs from East-Siberia, the Aleutian islands and Alaska as far as to California and Japan. it gains a length of 2,4 m and becomes heavy 80-125 kg. These pig-whales differ from animals of the type Phocoena in its prominent black-and-white-coloring, that larger number from fuss as well as through the smaller teeth (19-27 in each jaw-half). Also, these pig-whales show an active behavior. they live in pairs or in groups up to 20 animals together. they seem to undertake seasonal hikes.

Type Neophocaena The Indian pig-whale (Neophocaena phocoenoides) becomes only 1,5 m big. A pregnant animal of 1,3 m of length surged 27 kg. Conspicuous characteristics are the absence of a back-fin, the steeply rising front-head and this uniformly dark-gray until black coloring. 15-21 spade-shaped teeth stand in each jaw-half. This type lives on Pakistan not only before Asia's coasts as far as after Japan and China but also hikes far upstream (in the Chang Jiang 1600 km of the estuary removes) and is to be found even in bigger seas. Only rarely, one sees these pig-whales in smaller groups up to 5 animals, usually they live individually or in pairs. its food consists of fishings, squids and cancer-animals.