Taxonomy is the scientific discipline used to define and group living things. Taxonomy is constantly evolving as our knowledge grows and more is understood about different species, subspecies and populations.
For example, developments in genetics and satellite tagging have recently led scientists to question long-held views on the gray whale population structure in the North Pacific.
Taxonomy classifies whales, dolphins and porpoises as the Order of Cetacea (known commonly as cetaceans) and divides this group into two suborders:
- Mysticeti (baleen whales or mysticetes – approximately 14 species)
- Odontceti (toothed whales or odontocetes – approximately 75 species)
Within each of these suborders are individual groups or ‘families.’ Each species has a scientific name and a common name.
Suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales or mysticetes) |
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| Family | Scientific name | IWC (english) Common name |
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Family Balaenidae |
Eubalaena australis |
southern right whale |
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Eubalaena glacialis |
North Atlantic right whale |
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Eubalaena japonica |
North Pacific right whale |
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Balaena mysticetus |
bowhead whale, Greenland whale |
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Family Neobalaenidae |
Caperea marginata |
pygmy right whale |
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Family Eschrichtiidae |
Eschrichtius robustus |
gray whale |
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Family Balaenopteridae |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata |
common minke whale |
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Balaenoptera bonaerensis |
Antarctic minke whale |
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Balaenoptera borealis |
sei whale |
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Balaenoptera edeni |
Bryde's whale |
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Balaenoptera musculus |
blue whale |
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Balaenoptera physalus |
fin whale |
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Balaenoptera omurai |
Omura’s whale | |
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Balaenoptera ricei |
Rice's whale | |
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Megaptera novaeangliae |
humpback whale |
Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales or odontocetes) |
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|---|---|---|
| Family | Scientific name | IWC Common name |
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Family Physeteridae |
Physeter macrocephalus |
sperm whale |
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Family Kogiidae |
Kogia breviceps |
pygmy sperm whale |
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Kogia sima |
dwarf sperm whale |
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Family Platanistidae |
Platanista gangetica |
Ganges river dolphin |
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Platanista minor |
Indus river dolphin |
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Family Pontoporiidae |
Pontoporia blainvillei |
franciscana |
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Family Lipotidae |
Lipotes vexillifer |
baiji - possibly extinct |
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Family Iniidae |
Inia geoffrensis |
Amazon river dolphin or boto |
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Family Monodontidae |
Delphinapterus leucas |
white whale or beluga |
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Monodon monoceros |
narwhal |
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Family Phocoenidae |
Phocoena phocoena |
harbour porpoise |
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Phocoena spinipinnis |
Burmeister's porpoise |
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Phocoena sinus |
vaquita |
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Phocoena dioptrica |
spectacled porpoise |
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Neophocaena phocaenoides |
Indo-Pacific finless porpoise |
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Phocoenoides dalli |
Dall's porpoise |
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Neophocaena asiaeorientalis |
narrow-ridged finless porpoise |
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Family Delphinidae |
Steno bredanensis |
rough-toothed dolphin |
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Sousa chinensis |
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin |
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Sousa plumbea |
Indian Ocean humpback dolphin |
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Sousa sahulensis |
Sahul dolphin |
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Sousa teuszii |
Atlantic humpback dolphin |
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Sotalia fluviatilis |
tucuxi |
| Sotalia guianensis | Guiana dolphin | |
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Lagenorhynchus albirostris |
white-beaked dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus acutus |
Atlantic white-sided dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus obscurus |
dusky dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus obliquidens |
Pacific white-sided dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus cruciger |
hourglass dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus australis |
Peale's dolphin |
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Grampus griseus |
Risso's dolphin |
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Tursiops truncatus |
Common bottlenose dolphin |
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Tursiops aduncus |
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin |
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Stenella frontalis |
Atlantic spotted dolphin |
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Stenella attenuata |
pantropical spotted dolphin |
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Stenella longirostris |
spinner dolphin |
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Stenella clymene |
clymene dolphin |
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Stenella coeruleoalba |
striped dolphin |
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Delphinus delphis |
common dolphin |
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Lagenodelphis hosei |
Fraser's dolphin |
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Lissodelphis borealis |
northern right whale dolphin |
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Lissodelphis peronii |
southern right whale dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus commersonii |
Commerson's dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus eutropia |
Chilean dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus heavisidii |
Heaviside's dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus hectori |
Hector's dolphin |
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Peponocephala electra |
melon-headed whale |
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Feresa attenuata |
pygmy killer whale |
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Pseudorca crassidens |
false killer whale |
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Orcinus orca |
killer whale or orca |
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Globicephala melas |
long-finned pilot whale |
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Globicephala macrorhynchus |
short-finned pilot whale |
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Orcaella brevirostris |
Irrawaddy dolphin |
| Orcaella heinsohni | Australian snubfin dolphin |
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Family Ziphiidae |
Tasmacetus shepherdi |
Shepherd's beaked whale |
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Berardius bairdii |
Baird's beaked whale |
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Berardius arnuxii |
Arnoux's beaked whale |
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Berardius minimus |
Sato's beaked whale |
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Indopacetus pacificus |
Longman's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon bidens |
Sowerby's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon hotaula |
Deraniyagala's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon densirostris |
Blainville's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon eueu |
Ramari's breaked whale |
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Mesoplodon europaeus |
Gervais' beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon layardii |
strap-toothed whale |
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Mesoplodon hectori |
Hector's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon grayi |
Gray's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon stejnegeri |
Stejneger's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon bowdoini |
Andrews' beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon mirus |
True's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon ginkgodens |
ginkgo-toothed beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon carlhubbsi |
Hubbs' beaked whale |
| Mesoplodon perrini | Perrin's beaked whale | |
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Mesoplodon peruvianus |
pygmy beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon traversii |
spade-toothed whale |
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Ziphius cavirostris |
Cuvier's beaked whale |
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Hyperoodon ampullatus |
northern bottlenose whale |
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Hyperoodon planifrons |
southern bottlenose whale |
