Whales dolphins and porpoise are known as Cetacean. They are placed in order Cetacean from the Greek ‘Ketos’ and the latin ‘Cetus’ which means large marine creature, sea monster. They are very hard to study as they spend most of their time in under water. However our understanding in these fascinating animals has increased and they are now more respected than ever before.
Currently there are about 78 species of living cetacean. They are divided into two suborders, the baleen, Mysticeti and the toothed, Odontoceti whales. This depends mainly on their feeding apparatus.
Classification of Living Cetacea
Suborder: Mysticeti Baleen Whales
- Family: Balaenidae Balaena-Bowhead Whale and Black Rigt Whale
- Family: Balaenopteridae Balaenoptera-Minke (lesser Rorqual), Sei, Bryde’s, Blue and Fin Whales
- Family Echrichtiidae Enschrichtius- Gray Whale
- Family Neobalaenidae Caperea-Pygmy Right Whale
Suborder :Odontoceti Toothed Whales
Family:Delhinidae Cephalorhynchus-commerson’s, Chilean (Black), Heaviside’s and Hector’s Dolphins Delhinus-Common Dolphin Feresa-Pygmy Killer whale Gpobicephala-shorrt-finned and Long-finned Pilot Whales
Gampus-Risso’s Dolphin
Lagenodelphis-Fraser’s Dolphin
Lagenorhynchus-Atlantic White-sided, White-beaked, Peale’s, Hourglass, Pacific White-sited and Dusky Dolphins
Lissodelphin-Northern and Southern Right Whale Dolphins
Orcaella-Irrawaddy Dolphin
Orcinus-Killer Whale Orca
Peponocephala-Melon-headed Whale
Pseudorca-False Killer Whale
Sotalia-Tucuxi
Sousa-Pacific, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Spotted and Spinner Dolphins
Steno-Rough-toothed Dolphin
Tursiops-Bottle-nosed Dolphin Family:Monodontidae
Delpinapterus-Beluga
Monodon-Narwhal Family:Phoenidae
Australophocaena-Spectacted Porpoise
Neophocaena-Finless porpise
Pgocoena-Common (Harbour) Poroise, Vaquite, Burmeister’s Poroise
Phoenoides-Dall’sPoroise Family:Physeteridae
Kogia-Phygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales
Physeter-Sperm Whale Family:Plantanistidae
Inia-Amazon River Dolphin(Boto)
Lipotes-Yangtze River Dolphin (Baiji)
Plananista-Ganges and Indus River Dolphins
Pontoporia-La Plata Dolphin(Franciscana) Family:Ziphiidae
Berardius-Arnoux’s and Baird’s Beaked Whales
Hyperoodon-Norhern and Southern Bottlenose Whales
Mesoplodon-Sowerby’s, Andrew’s, Hubbs’,Blainville’s,gervais,Ginkgo-toothed,Gray’sHector’s, Strap-toothed, True’s, Pygmy, Stejneger’s and Longman’s Beaked Whales
Tasmacetus-Shepherd’s beaked Whale Ziphius-Cuvier’s Beaked Whale
