Reassessment of the franciscana Pontoporia blainvillei (Gervais & d'Orbigny, 1844) distribution and niche characteristics in Brazil

The franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) is the most threatened small cetacean of South America. The species is endemic to coastal waters of the western South Atlantic Ocean, where it is distributed from Itaúnas (Brazil) to Golfo San Matias (Argentina). Its range was divided in four Franciscana Management Areas (FMAs) for conservation purposes. However, the distribution of the franciscana is not continuous along its range, with two hiatuses...