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Porpoises MeSH Descriptor Data 2025


MeSH Heading
Porpoises
Tree Number(s)
B01.050.150.900.649.313.875.566
Unique ID
D019576
RDF Unique Identifier
http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D019576
Scope Note
Mammals of the family Phocoenidae comprising four genera found in the North Pacific Ocean and both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean and in various other seas. They differ from DOLPHINS in that porpoises have a blunt snout and a rather stocky body while dolphins have a beak-like snout and a slender, streamlined body. They usually travel in small groups. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, pp1003-4)
Entry Term(s)
Australophocaena dioptrica
Dall Porpoise
Finless Porpoise
Neophocaena phocaenoides
Phocoenidae
Phocoenoides dalli
Spectacled Porpoise
Registry Numbers
txid9740
txid34890
txid9744
txid34892
Related Numbers
txid34890
txid34892
txid9744
Previous Indexing
Cetacea (1966-1975)
Dolphins (1967-1997)
Public MeSH Note
98; see DOLPHINS 1968-97
History Note
98; use DOLPHINS 1968-97
Date Established
1998/01/01
Date of Entry
1997/06/20
Revision Date
2020/08/13
Porpoises Preferred
Spectacled Porpoise Narrower
Dall Porpoise Narrower
Finless Porpoise Narrower
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