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iCetaceans
Fossil range: Early Eocene - Recent

Humpback Whale breaching

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea Brisson, 1762

The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal," was more general. It comes from Greek ketos ("sea monster"). Cetology is the branch of marine science associated with the study of cetaceans.

Cetaceans are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life. Their body is fusiform (spindle-shaped). The forelimbs are modified into flippers. The tiny hindlimbs are vestigial; they do not attach to the backbone and are hidden within the body. The tail has horizontal flukes. Cetaceans are nearly hairless, and are insulated by a thick layer of blubber.

The order Cetacea contains just over eighty species, divided into two suborders, Mysticeti (baleen whales) and Odontoceti (toothed whales, which includes dolphins and porpoises).

1 Suborder - Mysticeti (Baleen Whales)
2 Suborder - Odontoceti (Toothed Whales)
3 Notes and references
- 3.1 General references
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Suborder - Mysticeti (Baleen Whales)

Main article: Mysticeti

The baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form the Mysticeti, one of two suborders of the Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises). Baleen whales are characterized by having baleen plates for filtering food from water, rather than having teeth. This distinguishes them from the other suborder of cetaceans, the toothed whales or Odontoceti. Living Mysticeti species have teeth only during the embryonal phase. Fossil Mysticeti had teeth before baleen evolved.

[edit] Family - Balaenidae (Right Whales)

Main article: Balaenidae

Balaenidae is a family of cetaceans that contains two genera. Commonly called the Right Whales as it contains mainly Right Whale species. This name can be confusing, however, since one of the species is the Bowhead Whale, which is different to the Right Whale.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Balaena Linnaeus, 1758 - 1 species
Bowhead Whale	Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758	LR/cd	8,000-9,200
Genus Eubalaena Gray, 1864 - 3 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Atlantic Northern Right Whale	Eubalaena glacialis Müller, 1776	Endangered	300
Pacific Northern Right Whale	Eubalaena japonica Lacépède, 1818	Endangered	200
Southern Right Whale	Eubalaena australis Desmoulins, 1822	Endangered	7,000

[edit] Family - Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)

Main article: Balaenopteridae

Rorquals are the largest group of baleen whales, with nine species in two genera. They include the largest animal that has ever lived, the Blue Whale, which can reach 150 tonnes, two others that easily pass 50 tonnes, and even the smallest of the group, the Northern Minke Whale, reaches 9 tonnes.

Rorquals take their name from a Norwegian word meaning "furrow whale": all members of the family have a series of longitudinal folds of skin running from below the mouth back to the navel (except the Sei Whale, which has shorter grooves). These are understood to allow the mouth to expand immensly when feeding. "Minke" is named after a Norwegian or German whaling gunner named Meincke, who, in the early part of the 20th century shot a Northern Minke Whale mistaking it for a Blue.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Subfamily Balaenopterinae - 1 genus, 8 species
Genus Balaenoptera - 8 species
Fin Whale	Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758	Endangered	64,000
Sei Whale	Balaenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828	Endangered	57,000
Bryde's Whale	Balaenoptera brydei Olsen, 1913	Unknown	Unknown
Pygmy Bryde's Whale	Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1879	Unknown	Unknown
Blue Whale	Balaenoptera musculus Linnaeus, 1758	Endangered	5,000-12,000
Northern Minke Whale	Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804	LR/nt	Unknown
Southern Minke Whale	Balaenoptera bonaerensis Burmeister, 1867	LR/cd	Unknown
No common name in usage	Balaenoptera omurai Wada et al., 2003	Unknown	Unknown
Subfamily Megapterinae - 1 genus, 1 species
Genus Megaptera Gray, 1846 - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Humpback Whale	Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski, 1781	Vulnerable	5,000-7,500

[edit] Family - Eschrichtiidae (Gray Whale)

Main article: Eschrichtiidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Eschrichtius - 1 species
Gray Whale	Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861	LR/cd	26,000

[edit] Family - Neobalaenidae (Pygmy Right Whale)

Main article: Neobalaenidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Caperea Gray, 1864 - 1 species
Pygmy Right Whale	Caperea marginata Gray, 1846	LR/lc	Unknown

[edit] Suborder - Odontoceti (Toothed Whales)

Main article: Odontoceti

The toothed whales (systematic name Odontoceti) form a suborder of the cetaceans. As the name suggests, the suborder is characterized by having teeth (rather than baleen). Toothed whales are active hunters, feeding on fish, squid, and in some cases marine mammals.

[edit] Family - Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)

Main article: Delphinidae

Oceanic dolphins are the members of the Delphinidae family of cetaceans. These aquatic mammals are related to whales and porpoises.

As the name implies, these dolphins tend to be found in the open seas, unlike the river dolphins, although a few species such as the Irrawaddy Dolphin are coastal or riverine.

Six of the larger species in the Delphinidae, the Orca and its relatives, are commonly called whales, rather than dolphins. They are also sometimes collectively known as "blackfish".

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Cephalorhynchus Gray, 1846 - 4 species
Commerson's Dolphin	Cephalorhynchus commersonii Lacépède, 1804	Data deficient	3,400
Chilean Dolphin	Cephalorhynchus eutropia Gray, 1846	Data deficient	Unknown
Heaviside's Dolphin	Cephalorhynchus heavisidii Gray, 1828	Data deficient	Unknown
Hector's Dolphin	Cephalorhynchus hectori Van Beneden, 1881	Endangered	2,000-2,500
Genus Steno - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Rough-toothed Dolphin	Steno bredanensis Lesson, 1828	Data deficient	150,000
Genus Sousa - 3 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Atlantic Humpback Dolphin	Sousa teuszi Kükenthal, 1892	Data deficient	Unknown
Indian Humpback Dolphin	Sousa plumbea Cuvier, 1829	Data deficient	Unknown
Pacific Humpback Dolphin	Sousa chinensis Osbeck, 1765	Data deficient	Unknown
Genus Sotalia - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Tucuxi	Sotalia fluviatilis Gervais & Deville, 1853	Data deficient	Unknown
Genus Tursiops - 2 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Bottlenose Dolphin	Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821	Data deficient	Unknown
Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin	Tursiops aduncus Ehrenberg, 1833	Data deficient	Unknown
Genus Stenella Gray, 1866 - 5 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin	Stenella attenuata Gray, 1846	LR/cd	3,000,000
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin	Stenella frontalis Cuvier, 1829	Data deficient	100,000
Spinner Dolphin	Stenella longirostris Gray, 1828	LR/cd	Unknown
Clymene Dolphin	Stenella clymene Gray, 1846	Data deficient	Unknown
Striped Dolphin	Stenella coeruleoalba Meyen, 1833	LR/cd	2,000,000
Genus Delphinus - 3 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Short-beaked Common Dolphin	Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, 1758	LR/cd	Unknown ^[1]
Long-beaked Common Dolphin	Delphinus capensis Gray, 1828	LR/cd	Unknown ^[2]
Arabian Common Dolphin	Delphinus tropicalis van Bree, 1971	Unknown	Unknown
Genus Lagenodelphis - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Fraser's Dolphin	Lagenodelphis hosei Fraser, 1956	Data deficient	Unknown
Genus Lagenorhynchus Gray, 1846 - 6 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
White-beaked Dolphin	Lagenorhynchus albirostris Gray, 1846	LR/lc	100,000 ^[3]
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin	Lagenorhynchus acutus Gray, 1828	LR/lc	200,000 - 300,000
Pacific White-sided Dolphin	Lagenorhynchus obliquidens Gill, 1865	LR/lc	1,000,000
Dusky Dolphin	Lagenorhynchus obscurus Gray, 1828	Data deficient	Unknown
Peale's Dolphin (also known as Black-chinned Dolphin)	Lagenorhynchus australis Peale, 1848	Data deficient	Unknown ^[4]
Hourglass Dolphin	Lagenorhynchus cruciger Quoy & Gaimard, 1824	LR/lc	140,000
Genus Lissodelphis - 2 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Northern Right Whale Dolphin	Lissodelphis borealis Peale, 1848	LR/lc	400,000 ^[5]
Southern Right Whale Dolphin	Lissodelphis peronii Lacépède, 1804	Data deficient	Unknown ^[6]
Genus Grampus - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Risso's Dolphin	Grampus griseus G. Cuvier, 1812	Data deficient	Unknown ^[7]
Genus Peponocephala - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Melon-headed Whale	Peponocephala electra Gray, 1846	LR/lc	Unknown ^[8]
Genus Feresa - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Pygmy Killer Whale	Feresa attenuata Gray, 1875	Data deficient	Unknown ^[9]
Genus Pseudorca - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
False Killer Whale	Pseudorca crassidens Owen, 1846	LR/lc	Unknown ^[10]
Genus Orca - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Orca	Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758	LR/cd	100,000 ^[11]
Genus Globicephala - 2 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Short-finned Pilot Whale	Globicephala macrorhynchus Gray, 1846	LR/cd	Unknown ^[12]
Long-finned Pilot Whale	Globicephala melas Traill, 1809	LR/lc	Unknown ^[13]
Genus Orcaella Gray, 1866 - 2 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Irrawaddy Dolphin	Orcaella brevirostris Gray, 1866	Data deficient	Unknown
Australian Snubfin Dolphin	Orcaella heinsohni Beasley, Robertson & Arnold, 2005	Unknown	Unknown

[edit] Family - Monodontidae (Narwhal and Beluga)

Main article: Monodontidae

The cetacean family Monodontidae comprises two unusual whale species, the Narwhal, in which the male has a long tusk, and the white Beluga.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Monodon - 1 species
Narwhal	Monodon monoceros Linnaeus, 1758	Data deficient	25,000 ^[14]
Genus Delphinapterus - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Beluga	Delphinapterus leucas Pallas, 1776	Vulnerable	100,000 ^[15]

[edit] Family - Phocoenidae (Porpoises)

Main article: Phocoenidae

The porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen. The most obvious visible difference between the two groups is that porpoises have spatulate (flattened) teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins. In addition, porpoises are relatively r-selected compared with dolphins: that is, they rear more young more quickly than dolphins.

Porpoises, divided into six species, live in all oceans, mostly near the shore. Probably best known is the Harbour Porpoise, which can be found across the Northern Hemisphere.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Neophocaena - 1 species
Finless Porpoise	Neophocaena phocaenoides Cuvier, 1829	Data deficient ^[16]	Unknown ^[17]
Genus Phocoena - 4 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Harbour Porpoise	Phocoena phocoena Linnaeus, 1758	Vulnerable	Unknown ^[18]
Vaquita	Phocoena sinus Norris & McFarland, 1958	Critical	500 ^[19]
Spectacled Porpoise	Phocoena dioptrica Lahille, 1912	Data deficient	Unknown ^[20]
Burmeister's Porpoise	Phocoena spinipinnis Burmeister, 1865	Data deficient	Unknown ^[21]
Genus Phocoenoides - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Dall's Porpoise	Phocoenoides dalli True, 1885	LR/cd	1,100,000 ^[22]

[edit] Family - Physeteridae (Sperm Whale)

Main article: Physeteridae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Physeter - 1 species
Sperm Whale	Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758	Vulnerable	200,000-2,000,000 ^[23]

[edit] Family - Kogiidae (Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm Whales)

Main article: Kogiidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population
Genus Kogia - 2 species
Dwarf Sperm Whale	Kogia sima Owen, 1866	LR/lc	Unknown ^[24]
Pygmy Sperm Whale	Kogia breviceps Blainville, 1838	LR/lc	Unknown ^[25]

[edit] Family - Ziphidae (Beaked Whales)

Main article: Ziphidae

A beaked whale is any of at least 20 species of small whale in the family Ziphiidae. They are one of the least-known families of large mammals: several species have only been described in the last two decades, and it is entirely possible that more remain as yet undiscovered. Six genera have been identified. Three of these, Indopacetus, the Hyperoodon and the Mesoplodon, are united in a single subfamily, the Hyperoodontinae.

They possess a unique feeding mechanism known as suction feeding. Instead of catching their prey with teeth, it is sucked into their oral cavity. Their tongue can move very freely, and when suddenly retracted at the same time as the gular floor is distended, the pressure immediately drops within their mouth and the prey is sucked in with the water.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Ziphius - 1 species
Cuvier's Beaked Whale	Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, 1823	Data deficient	Unknown ^[26]
Genus Berardius - 2 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Arnoux's Beaked Whale	Berardius arnuxii Duvernoy, 1851	LR/cd	Unknown ^[27]
Baird's Beaked Whale	Berardius bairdii Stejneger, 1883	LR/cd	Unknown ^[28]
Genus Tasmacetus - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Shepherd's Beaked Whale	Tasmacetus shepherdi Oliver, 1937	Data deficient	Unknown ^[29]
Subfamily Hyperoodontidae - 3 genera, 17 species
Genus Indopacetus - 1 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Longman's Beaked Whale	Indopacetus pacificus Longman, 1926	Data deficent	Unknown ^[30]
Genus Hyperoodon - 2 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Northern Bottlenose Whale	Hyperoodon ampullatus Forster, 1770	LR/cd	10,000 ^[31]
Southern Bottlenose Whale	Hyperoodon planifrons Flower, 1882	LR/cd	500,000 ^[32]
Genus Mesoplodon Gervais, 1850 - 14 species
Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Hector's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon hectori Gray, 1871	Data deficient	Unknown
True's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon mirus True, 1913	Data deficient	Unknown
Gervais' Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon europaeus Gervais, 1855	Data deficient	Unknown
Sowerby's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby, 1804	Data deficient	Unknown
Gray's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon grayi von Haast, 1876	Data deficient	Unknown
Pygmy Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon peruvianus Reyes, Mead, and Van Waerebeek, 1991	Data deficient	Unknown
Andrews' Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon bowdoini Gervais, 1850	Data deficient	Unknown
Bahamonde's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon bahamondi Gray, 1874	Data deficient	Unknown
Hubbs' Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon carlhubbsi Sowerby, 1963	Data deficient	Unknown
Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon ginkgodens Nishiwaki & Kamiya, 1958	Data deficient	Unknown
Stejneger's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon stejnegeri True, 1885	Data deficient	Unknown
Layard's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon layardii Gray, 1865	Data deficient	Unknown
Blainville's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon densirostris Blainville, 1817	Data deficient	Unknown
Perrin's Beaked Whale	Mesoplodon perrini Dalebout, Mead, Baker, Baker, & van Helding, 2002	Data deficient	Unknown

[edit] Superfamily - Platanistoidea (River Dolphins)

Main article: Platanistoidea

River dolphins are four species of dolphin which reside in freshwater rivers and estuaries. They are classed in the Platanistoidea superfamily of cetaceans. Three species live in fresh water rivers. The fourth species, the La Plata Dolphin, lives in saltwater estuaries and the ocean. However it is scientifically classed in the river dolphin family rather than the oceanic dolphin family.

[edit] Family - Iniidae (Amazon River Dolphin)

Main article: Iniidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Inia - 1 species
Amazon River Dolphin (Boto)	Inia geoffrensis Blainville, 1817	Vulnerable	Unknown

[edit] Family - Lipotidae (Chinese River Dolphin)

Main article: Lipotidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Lipotes - 1 species
Chinese River Dolphin	Lipotes vexillifer Miller, 1918	Critically endangered	100 ^[33]

[edit] Family - Platanistidae (Ganges and Indus River Dolphin)

Main article: Platanistidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Platanista - 1 species
Ganges and Indus River Dolphin	Platanista gangetica Roxburgh, 1801	Endangered	1,100 ^[34]

[edit] Family - Pontoporiidae (La Plata River Dolphin)

Main article: Pontoporiidae

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Population	Distribution	Size	Picture
Genus Pontoporia - 1 species
La Plata Dolphin	Pontoporia blainvillei Gervais & d'Orbigny, 1844	Data deficient	4,000-4,500

[edit] Notes and references

^ The total population is unknown but numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
^ The total population is unknown but numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
^ Estimates of various stocks throughout the North Atlantic give an overall value into the high tens or low hundreds of thousands.
^ Total population unknown but thought to be locally common - it is the most common dolphin found around the Falkland Islands
^ Varying population estimates for areas around California and the North Pacific give a total of up to 400,000
^ Surveys suggest that this is the most common dolphin off of Chilean waters.
^ The population around the continental shelf of the United States has been recorded to be in excess of 60,000. In the Pacific a census recorded 175,000 individuals in eastern tropical waters and 85,000 in the west. No global estimate of population exists.
^ Estimates for eastern tropical Pacific are 45,000 and another recent survey estimates population to be 1,200 for the eastern Sulu Sea, no global estimate is known.
^ The only population estimate is of 38,900 individuals in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean
^ The total population is unknown. The eastern Pacific was estimated to have in excess of 40,000 individuals and is probably the home of the largest grouping.
^ Local estimates include 70-80,000 in the Antarctic, 8,000 in the tropical Pacific (although tropical waters are not the orca's preferred environment, the sheer size of this area — 19 million square kilometres — means there are thousands of orcas), up to 2,000 off Japan, 1,500 off the cooler northeast Pacific and 1,500 off Norway.
^ Total population not known. There are 150,000 individuals in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. There are estimated to be more than 30,000 animals in the western Pacific, off the coast of Japan.
^ Total population not known. There are estimated to be in excess of 200,000 in the Southern Ocean. The North Atlantic population is not known.
^ Aerial surveys suggest a population of around 20,000 individuals. When submerged animals are also taken into account, the true figure may be in excess of 25,000.
^ There are estimated to be 40,000 individuals in the Beaufort Sea, 25,000 in Hudson Bay, 18,000 in the Bering Sea and 28,000 in the Canadian High Arctic. The population in the St. Lawrence estuary is estimated to be around 1000.
^ There are not enough data to place finless porpoises on the endangered species list, except in China, where they are endangered. Their propensity for staying close to shore places them in great danger from fishing
^ There are no good estimates of the animals' abundance. However a comparison of two surveys, one from the late 1970s and the other from 1999/2000 shows a decline in population and distribution.
^ Several surveys have been taken although large gaps of data is missing so an overall value cannot be achieved. In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Central California 4,120; Northern California 9,250; Oregon and Washington 26,175. In the Atlantic Ocean: Gulf of Maine 67,500; Skaggerak and Belt Seas 36,046; North Sea 279,367; Ireland and western UK 36,280.
^ Only few serious attempts have been made to estimate the total size of the vaquita population. Varying numbers have been obtained although an average of about 500 is usually found.
^ Nothing is known of the abundance of this porpoise. It was the most commonly encountered species during preliminary beach surveys undertaken on Tierra del Fuego.
^ There are no quantitative data on abundance.
^ The most recent estimate for the North Pacific and Bering Sea is 1,186,000.
^ The total number of Sperm Whales throughout the world is unknown. Crude estimates, obtained by surveying small areas and extrapolating the result to all the world's oceans, range from 200,000 to 2,000,000 individuals.
^ No global population estimates have been made. One survey estimated a population of about 11,000 in the eastern Pacific.
^ No global population estimates have been made. One survey estimated a population of about 11,000 in the eastern Pacific.
^ Because of the difficulty of identifying the species the total global population is unknown.
^ Arnoux's beaked whales seem to be relatively abundant in Cook Strait during summer
^ Virtually nothing is known about the abundance of Baird's beaked whales, except that they are not rare as was formerly thought
^ ANothing is known about the relative abundance of this species or its population composition.
^ A 2002 survey estimates that there are 766 animals around Hawaii. No other population estimates exist for other locales.
^ Total population is unknown but likely to be of the order of 10,000.
^ There is thought to be a global population in excess of 500,000.
^ There may be as few as <10 animals left in the wild today although 100 is more likely.
^ Estimates give values of 1,100 Indus River Dolphins and maybe as few as 20 Ganges River Dolphins.

[edit] General references

Rice, Dale W. (1998). "Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution": 231pp.
Mead, James G. and Robert L. Brownell, Jr (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds) Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 723-743. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.