Oceanic dolphin
Oceanic dolphins are the members of the
Cetacean family
Delphinidae. These aquatic
mammals are related to the
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 are coastal or riverine like the Irrawaddy Dolphin.
Six of the larger species in the Delphinidae, the Killer Whale and its relatives, are named as whales, rather than dolphins. These are sometimes collectively known as "blackfish''.
The Delphinidae vary in size from 1.2 metres and 40 kg (Heaviside's Dolphin), up to 7 metres and 4.5 tonnes (the Killer Whale). Most species weigh between about 50 and about 200 kg. They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and all are carnivores, mostly taking fish and squid.
Taxonomy
- ORDER CETACEA
- SUBORDER MYSTICETI
- SUBORDER ODONTOCETI
- Family Platanistoidae: river dolphins
- Family Delphinidae
- Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra
- Killer Whale, Orcinus orca
- Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata
- False Killer Whale, Pseudoorca crassidens
- Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas
- Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
- Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis
- Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
- Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissiodelphis peronii
- Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis
- Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin Sousa chinensis
- Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii
- Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis
- Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene
- Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata
- Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris
- Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
- Rough-toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis
- Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
- Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia
- Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii
- Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
- Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori
- Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus
- Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
- Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus
- Dusky Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus
- Hourglass Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger
- Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
- Peale's Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis
- White-beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris
- Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris
- Family Phocoenidae: porpoises
- Family Monodontidae: Beluga and Narwhal
- Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale
- Family Kogiidae: Pygmy Sperm Whale and Dwarf Sperm Whale
- Family Ziphiidae: beaked whales