According to a new study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, the Indus and Ganges River dolphins are not one, but two separate species. Currently, they are classified as two subspecies under the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) and based on the new study, this needs a revision.
Basic facts
- The dolphins inhabiting the Ganges River were named Platanista by Pliny the Elder in his Historia Naturalis.
- The Indus river dolphin, is endemic to the Indus River system principally in Pakistan.
- The Ganges river dolphin inhabits only the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, and nearby Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
- The Ganges dolphin is a Schedule I animal under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and has been included in Annexure – I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
- No tissue or sample of the Ganges dolphin can be transferred to foreign countries without getting CITES permission from the Competent Authority of Government of India.
- The Indus and Ganges River dolphins are both classified as ‘Endangered’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Concerns
- Physical barriers such as dams and barrages created across the river reduced the gene flow to a great extent making the Ganges River dolphin species vulnerable.
- River flow is also declining very fast as river water is being diverted through the barrages and this has affected the dolphin habitats.
- Mechanised boats are causing accidental injury to the dolphins.
(Reference: The Hindu and Sci News: http://www.sci-news.com/biology/indus-ganges-river-dolphins-09503.html)
