At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The franciscana is a small dolphin with a very long, slender beak, living in coastal waters and estuaries of South America. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It is one of the most bycatch-threatened small cetaceans.
Range & habitat
Coastal waters of south-eastern South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina).
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Entanglement in fishing nets (bycatch)
- Habitat degradation
- Pollution
Why it matters
A long-beaked coastal dolphin highly prone to net entanglement, the franciscana is a flagship for reducing bycatch in South American fisheries.
Sources
Sources for Franciscana
- IUCN Red List — look up Franciscana (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
What is distinctive about the franciscana?
It has one of the longest, most slender beaks of any dolphin relative to its size, and lives in shallow coastal and estuarine waters rather than the open ocean.
Why is the franciscana Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite entanglement in fishing nets as the leading threat, along with habitat degradation and pollution. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: