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| Subspecies: | Unknown |
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| Est. World Population: | |
| CITES Status: | NOT LISTED |
| IUCN Status: | Least Concern |
| U.S. ESA Status: | NOT LISTED |
| Body Length: | |
| Tail Length: | |
| Shoulder Height: | |
| Weight: | |
| Top Speed: | |
| Jumping Ability: | (Horizontal) |
| Life Span: | in the Wild |
| Life Span: | in Captivity |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Females) |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Males) |
| Litter Size: | |
| Gestation Period: | |
Habitat:
Within their range Harbour Porpoises occupy continental shelf waters typically 20–200 m in depth and are regularly sighted in coastal waters, entering bays and estuaries. They forage on a wide variety of prey species including both pelagic and benthic prey (Santos and Pierce 2003). They mate in late summer and have a gestation period of up to 11 months (Addink et al. 1995, Lockyer and Kinze 2003). Calving intervals are between one and two years and the species has a life expectancy of up to 23 years, with most living to about 12, they reach sexual maturity between three to five years (Lockyer and Kinze 2003).
Differences in distribution patterns within the North Sea were identified between the SCANS I (1994) and SCANS II (2006) surveys with a southward shift in distribution, hypothesised to be the result of shifting prey distribution (Hammond et al. 2013).
Across the North Atlantic, Phocoena phocoena phocoena show genetic structuring with strong isolation by distance (Ben Chehida et al. 2021a). This pattern is more pronounced for females suggesting stronger female philopatry and greater male dispersion (Wang et al. 1996, Rosel et al. 1999).
Differences in distribution patterns within the North Sea were identified between the SCANS I (1994) and SCANS II (2006) surveys with a southward shift in distribution, hypothesised to be the result of shifting prey distribution (Hammond et al. 2013).
Across the North Atlantic, Phocoena phocoena phocoena show genetic structuring with strong isolation by distance (Ben Chehida et al. 2021a). This pattern is more pronounced for females suggesting stronger female philopatry and greater male dispersion (Wang et al. 1996, Rosel et al. 1999).
Range:
Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are distributed in temperate and sub-polar waters of the Northern Hemisphere.
Within European waters there are two recognised subspecies, P. p. phocoena and P. p. relicta. P. p. phocoena are latitudinally distributed from Novaya Zemlya in the north to the Iberian Peninsula in the south. They typically range over the continental shelf and are most abundant in the North Sea. The species is also found in the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea.
Harbour Porpoises are almost entirely absent in the Mediterranean Sea but P. p. relicta occupies the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Marmara Sea, and Aegean Sea (Cucknell et al. 2016). The Mediterranean Sea therefore represents a discontinuity in the species range, isolating P. p. relicta from P. p. phocoena in the Atlantic.
Outside of European waters, in the eastern Atlantic Harbour Porpoises have been identified as far south as Senegal off northwest Africa. In the western Atlantic, they are distributed off west Greenland, off east Canada and as far south as off North Carolina, US. In the Pacific Ocean there are two subspecies including P. p. vomerina and an unnamed subspecies recognised in the west Pacific.
Within European waters there are two recognised subspecies, P. p. phocoena and P. p. relicta. P. p. phocoena are latitudinally distributed from Novaya Zemlya in the north to the Iberian Peninsula in the south. They typically range over the continental shelf and are most abundant in the North Sea. The species is also found in the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea.
Harbour Porpoises are almost entirely absent in the Mediterranean Sea but P. p. relicta occupies the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Marmara Sea, and Aegean Sea (Cucknell et al. 2016). The Mediterranean Sea therefore represents a discontinuity in the species range, isolating P. p. relicta from P. p. phocoena in the Atlantic.
Outside of European waters, in the eastern Atlantic Harbour Porpoises have been identified as far south as Senegal off northwest Africa. In the western Atlantic, they are distributed off west Greenland, off east Canada and as far south as off North Carolina, US. In the Pacific Ocean there are two subspecies including P. p. vomerina and an unnamed subspecies recognised in the west Pacific.
Conservation:
Harbour Porpoise are listed under several international conservation agreements including: Appendix II of CITES; Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS); Appendix II of the Bonn Convention; Appendix I of the Berne Convention; and Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive.
In order to protect porpoise, EU regulations require the use of pingers in some EU gillnet fisheries in the North and Baltic Seas, and the use of onboard observers to monitor bycatch on vessels of over 15 m in length. This legislation was transposed in UK Law after the UK left the European Union.
In order to protect porpoise, EU regulations require the use of pingers in some EU gillnet fisheries in the North and Baltic Seas, and the use of onboard observers to monitor bycatch on vessels of over 15 m in length. This legislation was transposed in UK Law after the UK left the European Union.