Dolphin Anatomy | Cetacean Parasites | Cetacean Nomenclature | Dolphin or Porpoise? | Whale Baleen | Cetacean Teeth | Cetaceans and the Bends | Whale Scars | Scientists at Work | Cetacean Families | Cetacean Family Tree
Modern Families of Cetaceans
| Family | Common Name | No. of Species | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balaenidae | Right whales, bowhead whale | 3 | Worldwide in temperate to tropical waters |
| Balaenopteridae | Rorqual whales | 6 | Whales with numerous throat grooves; includes blue and humpback whales |
| Eschrichtidae | Gray whale | 1 | Migrates along Pacific coast of North America |
| Neobalaenidae | Pygmy right whale | 1 | Smallest baleen whale, lives in Southern Hemisphere |
| Physeteridae | Sperm whales | 3 | Includes the largest of the toothed whales |
| Ziphiidae | Beaked whales | 19 | Little-known group of deep diving whales |
| Platanistidae | Ganges river dolphin | 2 | Fresh water dolphins that live in India and Pakistan |
| Iniidae | River dolphins | 3 | Found in Yangtze river of China and fresh and coastal waters of South America |
| Monodontidae | Beluga and narwhal | 2 | Arctic species |
| Phocoenidae | Porpoises | 6 | Small, with rounded heads; most species coastal; found worldwide except tropics |
| Delphinidae | Oceanic dolphins | 33 | Worldwide in oceans and some rivers; species include the familiar bottlenose dolphin and killer whale |
Heyning, John E. Masters of the Ocean Realm: Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995), p. 110.
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