Taxonomic Classification for Dolphins

## **WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010.**

   Chinese River Dolphin
Taxonomic Classification

Kingdom :Animilia
Phylum :Chordata
Class :Mammalia
Subclass:Eutheria
Order :Cetacea
Suborder:Odontoceti
Family :Lipotidae
Genus :Lipotes
Species :L. vexillifer

Bottlenose Dolphin
Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom : Animilia(Animals)
Phylum : Chordata(Chordates)
Class : Mammalia(Mammals)
Subclass: Eutheria
Order : Cetacea(*Cetaceans*)
Suborder: Odontoceti(Odontocetes)
Family : Delphinidae(Marine Dolphins)
Genus : Tursiops
Species : truncatus

        Most of the dolphins including Tursiops truncatus (*bottlenose dolphins*) are cetaceans.===

### Mysticetes do not have teeth but have baleen plates suspended from the roof of their mouth and have two nasal openings (blowholes).

===Odontocetes (which include bottlenose dolphins) have anywhere from 2-250 teeth and a single nasal opening.

The Boto, or Amazon River Dolphin
• Suborder Odontoceti, toothed whales
o Family Delphinidae, oceanic dolphins
 Genus Delphinus
 Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
 Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis
 Genus Tursiops
 Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops aduncus
 Genus Lissodelphis
 Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
 Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissiodelphis peronii
 Genus Sotalia
 Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis
 Costero, Sotalia guianensis
 Genus Sousa
 Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Sousa chinensis
 Chinese White Dolphin (the Chinese variant), Sousa chinensis chinensis
 Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii
 Genus Stenella
 Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis
 Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene
 Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata
 Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris
 Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 Genus Steno
 Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis
 Genus Cephalorynchus
 Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia
 Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii
 Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
 Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori
 Genus Grampus
 Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus
 Genus Lagenodelphis
 Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
 Genus Lagenorhyncus
 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
 Genus Orcaella
 Australian Snubfin Dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni
 Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris
 Genus Peponocephala
 Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra
 Genus Orcinus
 Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca
 Genus Feresa
 Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata
 Genus Pseudorca
 False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens
 Genus Globicephala
 Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas
 Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
 Genus †Australodelphis
 †Australodelphis mirus

o Superfamily Platanistoidea
 Family Platanistidae
 Ganges and Indus River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica with two subspecies
 Ganges River Dolphin (or Susu), Platanista gangetica gangetica
 Indus River Dolphin (or Bhulan), Platanista gangetica minor
 Family Iniidae
 Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis
 Family Lipotidae
 Chinese River Dolphin (or Baiji), Lipotes vexillifer (possibly extinct, since December 2006)
 Family Pontoporiidae
 La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei

         Six species in the family Delphinidae are commonly called "whales" but genetically are dolphins. They are sometimes called blackfish.
• Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra
• Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca
• Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata
• False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens
• Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas
• Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus===
Posted by Liau Sheau Changat 2:37 PM.