Cetacea
The order
Cetacea includes
whales,
dolphins and
porpoises.
Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning was more general, "large sea animal". It comes from Greek ketos, a sea monster.
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.
Cetacea contains 10 families, and about 80 species.
Taxonomical listing
The specification shown here closely follows that of "Marine Mammals of the World. Systematics and Distribution", by Dale W. Rice (1998). Published by the Society of Marine Mammalogy as Special Publication No. 4, the tract has become the standard taxonomy reference in the field. See the Society's website (here) for further details. Differences reflect usage of common names and further discoveries since the publication of that work.
- ORDER CETACEA
- Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen whales
- Suborder Odontoceti: toothed whales
- Superfamily Platanistoidea: River dolphins
- Family Monodontidae
- Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises
- Family Physeteridae
- Family Ziphidae, Beaked whales
- Genus Ziphius
- Genus Berardius
- Genus Tasmacetus
- Subfamily Hyperoodontidae
- Genus Indopacetus
- Genus Hyperoodon
- Genus Mesoplodon, Mesoplodont Whales
- Hector's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon hectori
- True's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon mirus
- Gervais' Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon europaeus
- Sowerby's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon bidens
- Gray's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon grayi
- Pygmy Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon peruvianus
- Andrew's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon bowdoini
- Bahamonde's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon bahamondi
- Hubb's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon carlhubbsi
- Ginko-toothed Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon gingkgodens
- Stejneger's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon stejnegeri
- Layard's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon layardii
- Blainville's Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon densirostris
- Family Delphinidae: Dolphin
- Genus Cephalorhynchus
- Genus Steno
- Genus Sousa
- Genus Sotalia
- Genus Tursiops
- Genus Stenella
- Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata
- Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis
- Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris
- Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene
- Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
- Genus Delphinus
- Genus Lagenodelphis
- Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
- Genus Lagorhyncus
- White-beaked Dolphin, Lagorhyncus albirostris
- Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, Lagorhyncus acutus
- Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Lagorhyncus obliquidens
- Dusky Dolphin, Lagorhyncus obscurus
- Black-chinned Dolphin, Lagorhyncus australis
- Hourglass Dolphin, Lagorhyncus cruciger
- Genus Lissodelphis
- Northern Right-whale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
- Southern Right-whale Dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii
- Genus Grampus
- Genus Peponocephala
- Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra
- Genus Feresa
- Genus Pseudorca
- Genus Orcinus
- Genus Globicephala
- Genus Orcaella
See also
External links