Ganges River dolphin in the context of "Indus river dolphin"

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⭐ Core Definition: Ganges River dolphin

The Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is a species of freshwater dolphin classified in the family Platanistidae. It lives in the Ganges and related rivers of South Asia, namely in the countries of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is related to the much smaller Indus river dolphin which lives in the rivers of the Indus Basin in Pakistan and northwestern India.

It is also known by the name susu (popular name) also shihu (Assamese: শিহু) in Assam shushuk (Bengali: শুশুক) in West Bengal and Bangladesh and Uttum (Chittagonian: উত্তুম) in Chittagong region. The Ganges river dolphin has been recognized by the Government of India as its National Aquatic Animal and is the official animal of the Indian city of Guwahati. Its first occurrence, within the Hooghly River, was documented by William Roxburgh.

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Ganges River dolphin in the context of Indus dolphin

The Indus river dolphin (Platanista minor) is a species of freshwater dolphin in the family Platanistidae. It is endemic to the rivers of the Indus basin in Pakistan and northwestern India. This dolphin was the first discovered side-swimming cetacean. In Pakistan, it occurs in the Indus river, patchily distributed in five small sub-populations that are separated by irrigation barrages. In India, a very small isolated population at a very high risk of extinction lives in the Beas river.

From the 1970s until 1998, the Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica) and the Indus dolphin were regarded as separate species; however, in 1998, their classification was changed from two separate species to subspecies of the South Asian river dolphin. However, more recent studies support them being distinct species. It is listed as the national mammal of Pakistan and the state aquatic animal of Punjab, India.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Indus dolphin
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Freshwater dolphin → Platanistidae → Ganges → South Asia → India → Nepal → Bangladesh → Indus river dolphin → Indus Basin → Pakistan → Assamese language → Assam → Bengali language → West Bengal → Chittagonian language → Government of India → List of national animals → Guwahati → Hooghly River → William Roxburgh →