Amazon pufferfish, also known as Amazon freshwater dolphin, Amazon finless porpoise, pink pufferfish, pink freshwater dolphin, is the largest surviving freshwater dolphin, distributed in the Amazon River and Orinoco River basin.
The Amazon pufferfish is the largest freshwater dolphin in existence.
The males have an average length of 2.3 m and a weight of 154 kg;
Females have an average length of 2 meters and a weight of 100 kg.
Large male individuals can reach up to 2.5 meters long and weigh up to 185 kilograms. In cetaceans, females are usually larger than males, while Amazon pufferfish, on the contrary, are larger than females.
Reference to the ratio of Amazon pufferfish to humans
The Finned Forelimbs of the Amazon pufferfish are slightly curved backwards, appearing larger than drying out, without dorsal fins, but the blunt triangular ridged ridged bulge of the back shows traces of evolutionary legacy.
Although its common name is pink pufferfish, but the body color is not limited to pink, young Amazon puffer fish body color is dark brown, gray, blue gray, adult color will gradually tend to pink. In a number of studies and statistics, it was found that their body color was related to water temperature, environment and distribution area.
The Amazon pufferfish has a prominent, long, pointed beak, with 25 to 35 teeth on the upper and lower jaws, with the front teeth being erect and conical, and the posterior part being flatter and with small sharp protrusions.
The two teeth share different jobs, the former used to grab prey and the latter for chewing.
The cervical vertebrae of the Amazon pufferfish are not connected, and its head can be rotated flexibly, 90 degrees.
Why do you swim backstroke so often?
The eyes of the Amazon pufferfish are small, but their eyesight is still quite good, but the swollen jaw will block the downward view, and sometimes they will flip their bodies to swim backstroke for the sake of observation.
Amazonian pufferfish usually live alone or in pairs, but sometimes form groups of up to 20 or more for hunting. Active in the early morning and at night, it usually hunts shrimp, crabs, small fish and occasionally smaller turtles at the bottom of the river. Each Amazon pufferfish has its own unique flavor, and they will have food preferences and will also change their taste.
They throw and knock leaves, branches and even stones, and sometimes approach boats and pull oars to play. The researchers pointed out that they are not doing simple games, but using props to attract the opposite sex to show. Most males use these props, and this behavior often occurs when a female appears nearby
Amazonian pufferfish like to interact with humans, but they choose their favorite type instead of having a crush on all humans.
The Amazon pufferfish are usually monogamous and polygamous, but this situation is not like the lion herd as it is known: a male lion king and multiple female wives. The polygamy of the Amazon pufferfish is a male husband and a fixed female wife, as well as multiple females who are free from the edges and have "improper relationships". These females will have fierce conflicts because of competition.
The breeding season for the Amazon pufferfish is from May to June, and the female gestation period is about 11 months, usually 1 litter per litter, and the length is about 80 cm when it is born. The lactation period is about one year, and the baby dolphins will live with their mothers for 2-3 years, during which the Amazon pufferfish mother will not reproduce.
The Amazon pufferfish is currently classified as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List, but the condition of the Amazon pufferfish is relatively the safest of the freshwater dolphins that are generally at risk. The habitat and population size of the Amazon pufferfish has remained stable for a long time compared to the shrinking habitat of the Ganges pufferfish and the newly extinct white dolphin. Due to rainforest obstacles, a comprehensive expedition has not been achieved, and the total number of Amazon puffer fish is estimated to be around 10,000.
In terms of man-made hunting, there is no direct targeting of Amazon pufferfish hunting, but fishermen occasionally kill some pufferfish to prevent disruption to fishing production or to protect fishing gear. But it is unclear whether this "passive" killing has threatened local populations. Since 1988, protected areas in Brazil and Bolivia, as well as Peru, Venezuela and Colombia, have successively legislated prohibiting such acts.
Population inflation in the Amazon basin and orinoco basin has caused some scientists to worry. In this area, water conservancy projects are being intensively planned. Environmentalists are on the run to stop these programs.
Some Amazon pufferfish have been reported to have died of mercury poisoning. Such deaths generally occur near gold mines, as mercury is often used as a material for separating gold and sandstone in gold mining.
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