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Orcaella brevirostris
Basic stats
Diet
Fish, cephalopods, crustaceans
Habitat
Coastal waters, estuaries, and lower stretches of large rivers
Range
Coastal South and Southeast Asia, with scattered Bornean records; also a well-known landlocked Mekong River population
Litter size
1 calf
Gestation period
About 14 months (typical for the species)
Size
Medium (2–2.75m body length)
Weight
90–200kg (typical for the species)
A rounded-headed, essentially beakless dolphin with a small, low dorsal fin set well back on the body — closely related to orcas despite its modest size. Unlike most dolphins it can flex its neck independently of its body, giving it an unusually mobile-looking head, and it is known to spit arcs of water while hunting.
Bornean sightings come mainly from coastal and estuarine waters, with occasional records in the lower reaches of larger rivers; the species is better known elsewhere for entirely freshwater populations far upriver in the Mekong and a handful of other major Asian rivers. A genuinely opportunistic sighting in Sabah rather than a planned wildlife-watching target.
Vulnerable, with entanglement in fishing nets the most significant threat across its range.
