Cetaceans around the world

Dolphins, porpoises, whales, killer whales and sperm whales are cetaceans. The word cetacean comes from the Latin cetus, meaning large animal, and from the Greek ketos, meaning sea monster.

There are currently 79 species listed, in two suborders: the mysticetes and the odontocetes.

The mysticetes are the baleen whales: their size varies a great deal, from 6 metres for the pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata), almost certainly the smallest and the least known of the whales, to 27 metres for the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), almost certainly the largest animal ever to have existed on earth.

The odontocetes are the toothed cetaceans: their number of teeth varies a great deal, from a single tooth in the narwhal to more than 200 teeth in some dolphins. Their size also varies a great deal, from 1.30 metres for Commerson’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) to 18 metres for sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus).

The mysticetes, or baleen whales

BALAENIDA	Balaena	Balaena mysticetus Greenland right whale
BALAENIDA	Eubalaena	Eubalaena australis Southern right whale Eubalaena glacialis Biscay right whale
BALAENOPTERIDA	Balaenoptera	Balaenoptera acutorostrata Common minke whale Balaenoptera borealis Sei whale Balaenoptera edeni Bryde’s whale Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale
BALAENOPTERIDA	Megaptera	Megaptera novaeangliae Humpback whale
ESCHRICHTIIDAE	Eschrichtius	Eschrichtius robustus Grey whale
NEOBALAENIDAE	Caperea	Caperea marginata Pygmy right whale

The odontocetes or cetaceans with teeth

DELPHINIDAE	Cephalorhynchus	Cephalorhynchus australis Peale’s dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii Commerson’s dolphin Cephalorhynchus cruciger Hourglass dolphin Cephalorhynchus eutropia Chilean dolphin Cephalorhynchus heavisidii Heaviside’s dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori Hector’s dolphin
	Delphinus	Delphinus delphis Common dolphin
	Feresa	Feresa attenuata Dwarf killer whale or Pygmy killer whale
	Globicephala	Globicephala macrorhynchus Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas Long-finned pilot whale
	Grampus	Grampus griseus Risso’s dolphin
	Lagenodelphis	Lagenodelphis hosei Fraser’s dolphin
	Aethalodelphis	Aethalodelphis obliquidens Pacific white-sided dolphin Aethalodelphis obscurus Dusky dolphin
	Lagenorhynchus	Lagenorhynchus albirostris White-beaked dolphin
	Leucopleurus	Leucopleurus acutus Atlantic white-sided dolphin
	Lissodelphis	Lissodelphis borealis Northern right whale dolphin Lissodelphis peronii Southern right whale dolphin
	Orcaella	Orcaella brevirostris Irrawaddy dolphin
	Orcinus	Orcinus orca Killer whale
	Peponocephala	Peponocephala electra Melon-headed whale
	Pseudorca	Pseudorca crassidens False killer whale
	Sotalia	Sotalia fluviatilis Tucuxi
	Sousa	Sousa chinensis Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin Sousa teuszii Atlantic humpback dolphin
	Stenella	Stenella attenuata Pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella clymene Clymene dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba Striped dolphin Stenella frontalis Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella longirostris Spinner dolphin
	Rough-toothed dolphin	Steno bredanensis Rough-toothed dolphin
	Tursiop	Tursiops truncatus Common bottlenose dolphin
MONODONTIDAE	Delphinapterus	Delphinapterus leucas Beluga
MONODONTIDAE	Monodon	Monodon monoceros Narwhal
PHOCOENIDAE	Australophocaena	Australophocaena dioptrica Spectacled porpoise
	Neophocaena	Neophocaena phocaenoides Finless porpoise
	Phocoena	Phocoena phocoena Harbour porpoise Phocoena sinus Vaquita Phocoena spinipinnis Burmeister’s porpoise
	Phocoenoides	Phocoenoides dalli Dall’s porpoise
PHYSETERIDAE	Kogia	Kogia breviceps Pygmy sperm whale Kogia simus Dwarf sperm whale
PHYSETERIDAE	Physeter	Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale
PLATANISTIDAE	Inia	Inia geoffrensis Amazon river dolphin
	Lipotes	Lipotes vexillifer Baiji
	Platanista	Platanista gangetica Ganges river dolphin Platanista minor Indus river dolphin
	Pontoporia	Pontoporia blainvillei Franciscana
ZIPHIIDAE	Berardius	Berardius arnuxii Arnoux’s beaked whale Berardius bairdii Baird’s beaked whale
	Hyperoodon	Hyperoodon ampullatus Northern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon planifrons Southern bottlenose whale
	Mesoplodon	Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby’s beaked whale Mesoplodon bahamondi Bahamonde’s beaked whale Mesoplodon bowdoini Andrews’ beaked whale Mesoplodon carlhubbsi Hubbs’s beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris Blainville’s beaked whale Mesoplodon europaeus Gervais’s beaked whale Mesoplodon ginkgodens Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale Mesoplodon grayi Gray’s beaked whale Mesoplodon hectori Hector’s beaked whale Mesoplodon layardii Strap-toothed whale Mesoplodon mirus True’s beaked whale Mesoplodon “A” Unidentified mesoplodont Mesoplodon peruvianus Pygmy beaked whale Mesoplodon pacificus Longman’s beaked whale Mesoplodon stejnegeri Stejneger’s beaked whale
	Tasmacetus	Tasmacetus shepherdi Shepherd’s beaked whale
	Ziphius	Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier’s beaked whale

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