Delphinoidea
Encyclopedia
Delphinoidea is the largest group of toothed whale
s with 66 genera in 6 families. The largest living member of the superfamily is the killer whale, which can reach 6 tonne
s, while the smallest, Commerson's Dolphin
, is also the smallest living cetacean.
Toothed whale
The toothed whales form a suborder of the cetaceans, including sperm whales, beaked whales, dolphins, and others. As the name suggests, the suborder is characterized by the presence of teeth rather than the baleen of other whales.-Anatomy:Toothed whales have a single blowhole on the top of the head...
s with 66 genera in 6 families. The largest living member of the superfamily is the killer whale, which can reach 6 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s, while the smallest, Commerson's Dolphin
Commerson's Dolphin
Commerson's Dolphin is one of four dolphins in the Cephalorhynchus genus. The species has also the common names Skunk Dolphin, Piebald Dolphin and Panda Dolphin...
, is also the smallest living cetacean.
Taxonomy
Superfamily Delphinoidea- Family Albireonidae
-
- Genus Albireo
-
- Family Delphinidae
- Subfamily Delphininae
- Genus Delphinus
- Genus Lagenodelphis
- Genus Sousa
- Genus StenellaStenellaStenella is a genus of aquatic mammals in Delphinidae, the family informally known as the oceanic dolphins.Currently five species are recognised in this genus:*Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, S. attenuata*Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, S. frontalis...
(syn. Clymenia, Micropia, Fretidelphis, Prodelphinus) - Genus Tursiops
- Subfamily Lissodelphininae
- Genus CephalorhynchusCephalorhynchusCephalorhynchus is a genus in the dolphin family Delphinidae. It consists of four species:*Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhyncus commersonii*Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhyncus eutropia*Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhyncus heavisidii...
(syn. Eutropia) - Genus Lissodelphis(syn. Tursio, Leucorhamphus)
- Genus Cephalorhynchus
- Subfamily Orcininae
- Genus †Arimidelphis
- Genus Feresa
- Genus Globicephala (syn. Sphaerocephalus, Globiceps, Globicephalus)
- Genus Grampus (syn. Grampidelphis, Grayius)
- Genus †Hemisyntrachelus
- Genus OrcaellaOrcaellaThe snubfin dolphins are a genus of dolphins containing two members: the Irrawaddy Dolphin and Australian Snubfin Dolphin. The genus was long believed to be monotypic with the only species being the Irrawaddy Dolphin; however, in 2005, genetic analysis showed that the Australian Snubfin Dolphin is...
- Genus Orcinus (syn. Orca, Ophysia, Gladiator)
- Genus Peponocephala
- Genus Pseudorca (syn. Neorca)
- Subfamily Stenoninae
- Genus †Astadelphis
- Genus Sotalia (syn. Tucuxa)
- Genus Steno (syn. Glyphidelphis, Stenopontistes)
- Subfamily incertae sedis
- Genus †Anacharsis
- Genus †AustralodelphisAustralodelphisAustralodelphis is an extinct Pliocene genus of dolphin with a single described species, Australodelphis mirus. The genus is known from fossils found in the Sørsdal Formation, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica...
- Genus LagenorhynchusLagenorhynchusLagenorhynchus is a genus in the order Cetacea, traditionally containing six species:* white-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris* Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus...
(syn. Electra, Sagmatias)
- Subfamily Delphininae
- Family †KentriodontidaeKentriodontidaeKentriodontidae is an extinct family of odontocet whales related to modern dolphins. The Family lived from the Oligocene to the Pliocene before going extinct.-Taxonomy:...
- Subfamily Kentriodontinae
- Genus Belonodelphis
- Genus Delphinodon
- Genus Incacetus
- Genus KentriodonKentriodonKentriodon is an extinct species of toothed whale. Fossils have been found in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and the United States.Kentriodon was the most diverse of all the kentriodontids, which include three named species and five undescribed species...
(syn. Grypolithax) - Genus Macrokentriodon
- Genus Microphocaena
- Genus Rudicetus
- Genus Tagicetus
- Subfamily Lophocetinae
- Genus Hadrodelphis
- Genus Liolithax
- Genus Lophocetus
- Subfamily Pithanodelphininae
- Genus Atocetus
- Genus Leptodelphis
- Genus Pithanodelphis
- Genus Sophianacetus (syn. Mediocris)
- Subfamily incertae sedis
- Genus Sarmatodelphis
- Genus Kampholophos
- Subfamily Kentriodontinae
- Family MonodontidaeMonodontidaeThe cetacean family Monodontidae comprises two unusual whale species, the narwhal, in which the male has a long tusk, and the white beluga whale...
- Subfamily Delphinapterinae
- Genus Delphinapterus
- Genus † Denebola
- Subfamily Monodontinae
- Genus Monodon
- Subfamily Delphinapterinae
- Family † Odobenocetopsidae
- Genus OdobenocetopsOdobenocetopsOdobenocetops was a small whale from the Pliocene. It had two tusks, and, in some fossils, one tusk was longer than the other.-Description:...
- Genus Odobenocetops
- Family Phocoenidae
- Subfamily Phocoeninae
- Genus †Australithax
- Genus †Lomacetus
- Genus †Loxolithax
- Genus Neophocaena
- Genus Phocoena
- Subfamily Phocoeninae
- Genus Phocoenoides
- Genus †Piscolithax (syn. Piscorhynchus)
- Genus †Salumiphocaena
- Subfamily incertae sedis
- Genus †Haborophocoena
- Genus †Numataphocoena
- Genus †Septemriocetus
- Subfamily Phocoeninae
- Familia incertae sedis
- Genus †Delphinavus
- Genus †Graamocetus
- Genus †Lamprolithax
- Genus †Miodelphis
- Genus †Nannolithax
- Genus †Oedolithax
- Genus †Oligodelphis
- Genus †Palaeophocaena
- Genus †Platylithax
- Genus †Protodelphinus
- Genus †Sinanodelphis