Pink-toothed

Pink-toothed

Pink-toothed, red-headed, pink-headed, blue-footed, blue-headed, boto, square-shore, buckethead or uiara are common names given to 3 species of river dolphins (not to be confused With dolphins, belonging to the family Delphinidae) of the genus Inia. The species are distributed in the Amazon and Solimões (I. geoffrensis), Bolivian (I. boliviensis) and Araguaia (I. araguaiaensis) basins.

It is the largest freshwater dolphin, and one of the cetaceans with the most obvious sexual dimorphism, with males measuring and weighing 16% and 55% more than females. Adults have a rosy color, more prominent in males. Like other odontocetes, it has an organ called melon used for echolocation. The dorsal fin is small, but it is very wide and its pectoral fins are large. This feature along with its medium size and lack of fusion in the cervical vertebrae give it great maneuverability to navigate the flooded forest and capture its prey. It has the widest diet among the odontocetes, feeding mainly on fish but completing with turtles and crabs. In the rainy season it moves to the flooded areas of the forest, where there is a greater supply of food.

In 2011 it was classified by the IUCN in the category of species with insufficient data, due to the uncertainty in relation to the total population, its tendency and the impact of the threats. It is not the subject of significant hunting, but in recent decades it has become frequent accidental catches in fishing nets. Because of its rosy coloration it attracts attention and is one of the species of dolphins kept in captivity in several aquariums in the world, mainly in the United States, Venezuela and Europe, however, it is difficult to maintain and has a high mortality rate in captivity.