OCEANIC DOLPHIN

'Oceanic dolphins' are the members of the 'Delphinidae' family of cetaceans. These aquatic mammals are related to 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 such as the Irrawaddy Dolphin are coastal or riverine.
Six of the larger species in the Delphinidae, the Orca and the Pilot, Melon-headed, Pygmy Killer and False Killer Whales, are commonly called whales, rather than dolphins. They are also sometimes collectively known as "blackfish".
The Delphinidae vary in size from 1.2 meters and 40 kg (Heaviside's Dolphin), up to 7 meters and 4.5 tones (the Orca). 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

References

Taxonomy

'ORDER CETACEA'

★ SUBORDER MYSTICETI

★ 'SUBORDER ODONTOCETI'

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★ Superfamily Platanistoidea: All river dolphins

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★ Family Platanistidae: Indus and Ganges river dolphins

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★ Family Lipotidae: Baiji (Yangtze River Dolphin)

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★ Family Iniidae: Boto (Amazon River Dolphin)

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★ Family Pontoporiidae: Franciscana (La Plata Dolphin)

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★ 'Family Delphinidae'

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★ Genus ''Peponocephala''

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★ Melon-headed Whale, ''Peponocephala electra''

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★ Genus ''Orcinus''

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★ Orca (Killer Whale), ''Orcinus orca''

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★ Genus ''Feresa''

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★ Pygmy Killer Whale, ''Feresa attenuata''

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★ Genus ''Pseudorca''

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★ False Killer Whale, ''Pseudorca crassidens''

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★ Genus ''Globicephala''

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★ Long-finned Pilot Whale, ''Globicephala melas''

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★ Short-finned Pilot Whale, ''Globicephala macrorhynchus''

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★ Genus ''Delphinus''

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★ Long-beaked Common Dolphin, ''Delphinus capensis''

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★ Short-beaked Common Dolphin, ''Delphinus delphis''

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★ Genus ''Lissodelphis''

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★ Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, ''Lissodelphis borealis''

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★ Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, ''Lissodelphis peronii''

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★ Genus ''Sotalia''

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★ Tucuxi, ''Sotalia fluviatilis''

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★ Genus ''Sousa''

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★ Pacific Humpback Dolphin, ''Sousa chinensis''

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★ Indian Humpback Dolphin, ''Sousa plumbea''

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★ Atlantic Humpback Dolphin, ''Sousa teuszii''

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★ Genus ''Stenella''

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★ Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, ''Stenella frontalis''

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★ Clymene Dolphin, ''Stenella clymene''

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★ Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, ''Stenella attenuata''

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★ Spinner Dolphin, ''Stenella longirostris''

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★ Striped Dolphin, ''Stenella coeruleoalba''

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★ Genus ''Steno''

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★ Rough-toothed Dolphin, ''Steno bredanensis''

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★ Genus ''Tursiops''

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★ Common Bottlenose Dolphin, ''Tursiops truncatus''

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★ Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, ''Tursiops aduncus''

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★ Genus ''Cephalorhynchus''

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★ Chilean Dolphin, ''Cephalorhynchus eutropia''

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★ Commerson's Dolphin, ''Cephalorhynchus commersonii''

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★ Heaviside's Dolphin, ''Cephalorhynchus heavisidii''

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★ Hector's Dolphin, ''Cephalorhynchus hectori''

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★ Genus ''Grampus''

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★ Risso's Dolphin, ''Grampus griseus''

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★ Genus ''Lagenodelphis''

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★ Fraser's Dolphin, ''Lagenodelphis hosei''

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★ Genus ''Lagenorhynchus''

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★ Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, ''Lagenorhynchus acutus''

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★ Dusky Dolphin, ''Lagenorhynchus obscurus''

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★ Hourglass Dolphin, ''Lagenorhynchus cruciger''

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★ Pacific White-sided Dolphin, ''Lagenorhynchus obliquidens''

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★ Peale's Dolphin, ''Lagenorhynchus australis''

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★ White-beaked Dolphin, ''Lagenorhynchus albirostris''

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★ Genus ''Orcaella''

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★ Irrawaddy Dolphin, ''Orcaella brevirostris''

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★ Australian Snubfin Dolphin, ''Orcaella heinsohni''

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★ Family Phocoenidae: porpoises

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★ Family Monodontidae: Beluga and Narwhal

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★ Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale

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★ Family Kogiidae: Pygmy Sperm Whale and Dwarf Sperm Whale

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★ Family Ziphiidae: beaked whales
Recent molecular analyses indicate that several delphinid genera (especially ''Stenella'' and ''Lagenorhynchus'') are not monophyletic as currently recognized. Thus, the coming years will likely see significant taxonomic revisions within the family.

References

★ LeDuc, R.G., Perrin, W.F., Dizon, A.E. (1999). Phylogenetic relationships among the delphinid cetaceans based on full cytochrome ''b'' sequences. Marine Mammal Science 15, 619–648.

★ May-Collado, L., Agnarsson, I. (2006). Cytochrome ''b'' and Bayesian inference of whale phylogeny. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38, 344-354.

★ 'Site sur les differents orques et leur mode de reproduction évitant la consanguinité.'