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Amazon and Orinoco drainage basins of South America under the SMM single-species treatment.

Amazon River Dolphin

Inia geoffrensis

Image credit: Naparmalandia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source · Licence details

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Long beak, flexible neck, large flippers and low dorsal ridge; colour ranges from grey to pink and changes with age and individual history. Entirely freshwater: river channels, tributaries, lakes and seasonally flooded forests.

Image gallery

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Amazon river dolphin surfacing in the Mamirauá reserve, Brazil.
Amazon river dolphin surfacing in the Mamirauá reserve, Brazil. Display copy converted from the downloaded source image; no added crop or colour adjustment. The source page links the full-resolution original.Naparmalandia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source · License
Three Amazon river dolphins swimming in the Rio Negro at Anavilhanas, Brazil.
Three Amazon river dolphins swimming in the Rio Negro at Anavilhanas, Brazil. Display copy converted from the downloaded source image; no added crop or colour adjustment. The source page links the full-resolution original.Silvio Batista Piotto Junior · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source · License
Bolivian river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis boliviensis) surfacing together; shown within the Amazon river dolphin species account.
Bolivian river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis boliviensis) surfacing together; shown within the Amazon river dolphin species account. Display copy converted from the downloaded source image; no added crop or colour adjustment. The source page links the full-resolution original.Ramon and Suzanne Vargas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source · License
Aquarium suitability

Wildlife education

This record supports wildlife education. Aquarium-care questions are not assigned to this profile.

Wild marine mammal outside home-aquarium scope.

Wildlife reference only; unsuitable for home aquariums. No captive operating protocol is validated by this profile.

Outstanding care evidence

  • Institutional lifetime husbandry and veterinary protocol

Identification

Long beak, flexible neck, large flippers and low dorsal ridge; colour ranges from grey to pink and changes with age and individual history.

Names and Classification

A wildlife species in the family Iniidae. The accepted scientific name follows the Society for Marine Mammalogy checklist.

Adult Size

Reported lengths reach about 2.3 m in females and 2.8 m in males; males can reach 160 kg.

Distribution and Habitat

Amazon and Orinoco drainage basins of South America under the SMM single-species treatment. Entirely freshwater: river channels, tributaries, lakes and seasonally flooded forests.

Feeding and Ecological Role

A broad variety of fishes, including prey taken near the bottom. Seasonal floods open forest feeding habitat. Bycatch, deliberate killing for bait and habitat degradation create conservation pressure.

Reproduction and Life History

One calf; births in parts of Brazil peak during the high-water season.

Conservation

Endangered (IUCN global; 2025-2 categories reported by IUCN CSG; checked 2026-10-17). National legal status and individual populations may differ.

Responsible Observation

Observe quietly at a distance and avoid feeding, touching or pursuit. Follow local closures and report injured animals to authorized responders.

About the Photographs

3 verified photographs of living animals were selected. Each has its own photographer credit, reuse licence and source page. Source context is retained; dead animals, drawings and unidentified substitutes were excluded.

Aquarium Suitability

Wildlife education only. This marine mammal is outside home-aquarium stocking and care guidance. Wild range and diet are not a captive operating protocol; this profile does not infer tank dimensions, water settings, acquisition advice or an institutional welfare plan.

Evidence Gaps

Regional reproductive variation Taxonomic proposals within Inia remain debated

A living record

Species natural history checked against the linked government, museum, conservation and taxonomic sources. Historical accounts are not used as current population estimates. Image licences and source contexts are recorded separately. Public content last reviewed October 17, 2026.

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