Whales
Whales are some of the largest animals on Earth, with the Blue Whale being the largest animal on the planet. Historically, the name Whale was used as the general name for the mammal Order Cetacea (marine mammals). The order contains whales, dolphins and porpoises. Now, in the modern day, the name Whale refers only to whales, and excludes dolphins and porpoises (as mentioned below, the classification table in this Whale article contains dolphins and porpoises for reference purposes).
Whales are divided into two separate Suborders: Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) and Odontoceti (Toothed Whales). Baleen Whales eat by straining sea water through their baleen (long strips of hair-like material instead of teeth), and include the Blue Whale and the Humpback Whale. Toothed whales include the Beluga, sperm whale, pilot whale, and the killer whale.
The whale population has continued to be diminished through the centuries by intense whaling activities. Whales were hunted for meat, and for raw materials for many different products. This activity has resulted in many endangered whales species. Whaling has stopped in most countries, but their are still some areas where whaling occurs.
Whale Classification
The following Scientific classification for whales includes both dolphins and porpoises. All three families fall under the same classification tree, as all three are found under the Order Cetacea. The information on this page is only for whales, but the other mammals are included in this classification tree for reference.
| - Kingdom: Animalia |
| - Phylum: Chordata |
| - Class: Mammalia |
| - Infraclass: Eutheria |
| - Superorder: Laurasiatheria |
| - Unranked: Cetartiodactyla |
| - Unranked: Whippomorpha |
| - Order Cetacea |
| - Suborder Mysticeti (Baleen whales) |
| - Family Balaenidae (Right whales and Bowhead Whale) |
| - Genus Balaena |
| - Balaena mysticetus (Bowhead Whale) |
| - Genus Eubalaena |
| - Eubalaena australis (Southern Right Whale) |
| - Eubalaena glacialis (North Atlantic Right Whale) |
| - Eubalaena japonica (North Pacific Right Whale) |
| - Family Balaenopteridae (Rorquals) |
| - Subfamily Balaenopterinae |
| - Genus Balaenoptera |
| - Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Common Minke Whale) |
| - Balaenoptera bonaerensis (Antarctic Minke Whale) |
| - Balaenoptera borealis (Sei Whale) |
| - Balaenoptera brydei (Bryde’s Whale) |
| - Balaenoptera edeni (Eden’s Whale) |
| - Balaenoptera musculus (Blue Whale) |
| - Balaenoptera omurai |
| - Balaenoptera physalus (Fin Whale) |
| - Subfamily Megapterinae |
| - Genus Megaptera |
| - Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale) |
| - Family Eschrichtiidae |
| - Genus Eschrichtius |
| - Eschrichtius robustus (Gray Whale) |
| - Family Neobalaenidae |
| - Genus Caperea |
| - Caperea marginata (Pygmy Right Whale) |
| - Suborder Odontoceti (Toothed whales) |
| - Family Delphinidae (Dolphins) |
| - Genus Cephalorhynchus |
| - Cephalorhyncus commersonii (Commerson’s Dolphin) |
| - Cephalorhyncus eutropia (Chilean Dolphin) |
| - Cephalorhyncus heavisidii (Heaviside’s Dolphin) |
| - Cephalorhyncus hectori (Hector’s Dolphin) |
| - Genus Delphinus |
| - Delphinus capensis (Long-beaked Common Dolphin) |
| - Delphinus delphis (Short-beaked Common Dolphin) |
| - Delphinus tropicalis (Arabian Common Dolphin) |
| - Genus Feresa |
| - Feresa attenuata (Pygmy Killer Whale) |
| - Genus Globicephala |
| - Globicephala macrorhyncus (Short-finned Pilot Whale) |
| - Globicephala melas (Long-finned Pilot Whale) |
| - Genus Grampus |
| - Grampus griseus (Risso’s Dolphin) |
| - Genus Lagenodelphis |
| - Lagenodelphis hosei (Fraser’s Dolphin) |
| - Genus Lagenorhynchus |
| - Lagenorhynchus acutus (Atlantic White-sided Dolphin) |
| - Lagenorhynchus albirostris (White-beaked Dolphin) |
| - Lagenorhynchus australis (Peale’s Dolphin) |
| - Lagenorhynchus cruciger (Hourglass Dolphin) |
| - Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Pacific White-sided Dolphin) |
| - Lagenorhynchus obscurus (Dusky Dolphin) |
| - Genus Lissodelphis |
| - Lissodelphis borealis (Northern Right Whale Dolphin) |
| - Lissodelphis peronii (Southern Right Whale Dolphin) |
| - Genus Orcaella |
| - Orcaella brevirostris (Irrawaddy Dolphin) |
| - Orcaella heinsohni (Australian Snubfin Dolphin) |
| - Genus Orcinus |
| - Orcinus orca (Killer Whale) |
| - Genus Peponocephala |
| - Peponocephala electra (Melon-headed Whale) |
| - Genus Pseudorca |
| - Pseudorca crassidens (False Killer Whale) |
| - Genus Sotalia |
| - Sotalia fluviatilis (Tucuxi) |
| - Sotalia guianensis (Costero) |
| - Genus Sousa |
| - Sousa chinensis (Pacific Humpback Dolphin) |
| - Sousa plumbea (Indian Humpback Dolphin) |
| - Sousa teuszii (Atlantic Humpback Dolphin) |
| - Genus Stenella |
| - Stenella attenuata (Pantropical Spotted Dolphin) |
| - Stenella clymene (Clymene Dolphin) |
| - Stenella coeruleoalba (Striped Dolphin) |
| - Stenella frontalis (Atlantic Spotted Dolphin) |
| - Stenella longirostris (Spinner Dolphin) |
| - Genus Steno |
| - Steno bredanensis (Rough-toothed Dolphin) |
| - Genus Tursiops |
| - Tursiops aduncus (Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin) |
| - Tursiops truncatus (Common Bottlenose Dolphin) |
| - Family Monodontidae |
| - Genus Delphinapterus |
| - Delphinapterus leucas (Beluga) |
| - Genus Monodon |
| - Monodon monoceros (Narwhal) |
| - Family Phocoenidae (Porpoises) |
| - Genus Neophocaena |
| - Neophocaena phocaenoides (Finless Porpoise) |
| - Genus Phocoena |
| - Phocoena dioptrica (Spectacled Porpoise) |
| - Phocoena phocaena (Harbour Porpoise) |
| - Phocoena sinus (Vaquita) |
| - Phocoena spinipinnis (Burmeister’s Porpoise) |
| - Genus Phocoenoides |
| - Phocoenoides dalli (Dall’s Porpoise) |
| - Family Physeteridae |
| - Genus Physeter |
| - Physeter catodon (Sperm Whale) |
| - Family Kogiidae |
| - Genus Kogia |
| - Kogia breviceps (Pygmy Sperm Whale) |
| - Kogia sima (Dwarf Sperm Whale) |
| - Superfamily Platanistoidea |
| - Family Iniidae |
| - Genus Inia |
| - Inia boliviensis (Bolivian River Dolphin) |
| - Inia geoffrensis (Amazon River Dolphin) |
| - Family Lipotidae |
| - Genus Lipotes |
| - Lipotes vexillifer (Baiji) (Extinct) |
| - Family Pontoporiidae |
| - Genus Pontoporia |
| - Pontoporia blainvillei (Franciscana) |
| - Family Platanistidae |
| - Genus Platanista |
| - Platanista gangetica gangetica (Ganges River Dolphin) |
| - Platanista gangetica minor (Indus River Dolphin) |
| - Family Ziphidae (Beaked Whales) |
| - Genus Berardius |
| - Berardius arnuxii (Arnoux’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Berardius bairdii (Baird’s Beaked Whale, North Pacific Bottlenose Whale) |
| - Subfamily Hyperoodontidae |
| - Genus Hyperoodon |
| - Hyperoodon ampullatus (Northern Bottlenose Whale) |
| - Hyperoodon planifrons (Southern Bottlenose Whale) |
| - Genus Indopacetus |
| - Indopacetus pacificus (Longman’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Genus Mesoplodon (Mesoplodont Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon bowdoini (Andrews’ Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon carlhubbsi (Hubbs’ Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon densirostris (Blainville’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais’ Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon ginkgodens (Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon grayi (Gray’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon hectori (Hector’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon layardii (Layard’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon mirus (True’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon perrini (Perrin’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon peruvianus (Pygmy Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon stejnegeri (Stejneger’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Mesoplodon traversii (Spade Toothed Whale) |
| - Genus Tasmacetus |
| - Tasmacetus shepherdi (Shepherd’s Beaked Whale) |
| - Genus Ziphius |
| - Ziphius cavirostris (Cuvier’s Beaked Whale) |