Revealing further insights on extralimital records of Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis, Burmeister, 1865) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis) is an endemic species found in both the South Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, along the coastal regions of South America. In the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, the species is reported from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina to Santa Catarina, Brazil, and the Falkland Islands. This study provides new insights on two stranded P. spinipinnis specimens in Southeastern Brazil, including the first occurrence in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Despite the advanced decomposition of the carcasses, which limited necropsy findings, we provide new data on the general characteristics of the specimens found in this extralimital geographical range, such as total body length, age, sex, vertebral count, and cranial measurements.