Cetacea

By Brandi Eberlin

General Characteristics

• Mammals which have aquatic life cycles from birth until death

• Nearly hairless• Fusiform (spindle-shaped) body• Frontal limbs in the form of flippers• Horizontal tail fin• Living members have hind limbs that are vestigial

structures• Insulated with blubber

3 Suborders

Order: Cetacea

Suborders: Archaeocti Mysticeti Odontoceti

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Mammalia

Sperm Whale, Physeter macrocephalus

Archaeoceti• All extinct• Links together land mammals

and whales• Most lived in the ocean• Most have a whale-like body

structure• Several different types of teeth• Nostrils are not towards the

top of skull• Some retained hind limbs

Mysticeti

• Also known as baleen whales

• No teeth• Have plates of baleen• Eats small aquatic

animals and plankton• Larger cetaceans• 2 blowholes• 4 families• 14 species• All composed of whales Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback Whale• Suborder: Mysticeti • 40-60 feet long• 30-44 tons• Baleen plates• Eats small fish and krill• 2 blowholes

Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae

• Breed and have young in warm water• Pregnant for 11-12 months• Calf nurses for 1 year• Females mature in 5 years• Males mature in 7 years• Live up to 50-80 years

Range Map

Family: Balaenidae- Right whales and Bowhead Whale Genus: Balaena

Bowhead Whale, Balaena mysticetus Genus: Eubalaena

Atlantic Northern Right Whale, Eubalaena glacialis Pacific Northern Right Whale, Eubalaena japonica Southern Right Whale, Eubalaena australis

Family: Balaenopteridae, RorqualsSubfamily: Balaenopterinae

Genus: BalaenopteraCommon Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrataAntarctic Minke Whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensisSei Whale, Balaenoptera borealisBryde's Whale, Balaenoptera brydeiBlue Whale, Balaenoptera musculusFin Whale, Balaenoptera physalus

Subfamily: MegapterinaeGenus: Megaptera

Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae † Genus: Eobalaenoptera

† Harrison's Whale, Eobalaenoptera harrisoniFamily: Eschrichtiidae

Genus: Eschrichtius Gray Whale, Eschrichtius robustus

Family: Neobalaenidae: Pygmy Right Whale Genus: Caperea

Pygmy Right Whale, Caperea marginata

Gray Whale, Eschrichtius robustus

Odontoceti

• Also known as toothed whales

• Have teeth• One type of tooth• Carnivore• Smaller cetaceans• Eat larger aquatic animals

than the Mysticeti • Uses echolocation• A mass of fat called the

melon• 1 blowhole• 10 families• 73 species• Composed of whales,

dolphins, and porpoises False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

• Pregnant for 12 months• Calf nurses for 18 months• Calf will stay for 3-6 years• Females mature in 5-9 years• Males mature in 8-13 years• Live up to 25 years

• Suborder: Odontoceti• 6-14 feet long• 300-1400 pounds• Cone-shape teeth• Eats fish, squid, and crustaceans• Prefers water above 50˚F• Single blowhole

Range Map

Family Delphinidae: Ocean dolphinGenus Cephalorhynchus

commersonii, Commerson's Dolphineutropia, Chilean Dolphin, heavisidii, Heaviside's Dolphinhectori, Hector's Dolphin

Genus Delphinuscapensis, Long-beaked Common Dolphindelphis, Short-beaked Common Dolphin

Genus Feresaattenuata, Pygmy Killer Whale

Genus Globicephalamacrorhyncus, Short-finned Pilot Whalemelas, Long-finned Pilot Whale

Genus Grampusgriseus, Risso's Dolphin

Genus Lagenodelphishosei, Fraser's Dolphin

Genus Lagenorhynchusacutus, Atlantic White-sided Dolphinalbirostris, White-beaked Dolphinaustralis, Peale's Dolphincruciger, Hourglass Dolphinobliquidens, Pacific White-sided Dolphinobscurus, Dusky Dolphinspp., Tropical Dusky Dolphin

Genus Lissodelphisborealis, Northern Right Whale Dolphinperonei, Southern Right Whale Dolphin

Genus Orcaellabrevirostris, Irrawaddy Dolphin

Genus Orcinusorca, Killer Whale

Genus Peponocephalaelectra, Melon-headed Whale

Genus Pseudorcacrassidens, False Killer Whale

Genus Sotaliafluviatilis, Tucuxi

Genus Sousachinensis, Pacific Humpback Dolphinplumbea, Indian Humpback Dolphinteuszii, Atlantic Humpback Dolphin

Genus Stenellaattenuata, Pantropical Spotted Dolphinclymene,, Clymene Dolphincoeruleoalba, Striped Dolphinfrontalis, Atlantic Spotted Dolphinlongirostris, Spinner Dolphin

Genus Stenobredanensis, Rough-toothed Dolphin

Genus Tursiopsaduncus, Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphintruncates, Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Family MonodontidaeGenus Delphinapterus

leucas, BelugaGenus Monodon

monoceros, NarwhalFamily Phocoenidae: Porpoises

Genus Neophocaenaphocaenoides, Finless Porpoise

Genus Phocoenadioptrica, Spectacled Porpoisephocaena, Harbour Porpoisesinus, Vaquitaspinipinnis, Burmeister's Porpoise

Genus PhocoenoidesDalli, Dall's Porpoise

Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale familyGenus Physeter

macrocephalus, Sperm WhaleFamily Kogiidae - MSW3 treats Kogia as a member of Physeteridae

Genus Kogiabreviceps, Pygmy Sperm Whalesima, Indo-Pacific Dwarf Sperm Whalessp., Atlantic Dwarf Sperm Whale

Superfamily Platanistoidea: River dolphinsFamily Iniidae

Genus Iniageoffrensis, Amazon River Dolphin, Inia

Family PlatanistidaeGenus Platanista

gangetica, Ganges River Dolphin Family Ziphidae, Beaked whales

Genus Berardiusarnuxii, Arnoux's Beaked Whalebairdii, Baird's Beaked Whale

Subfamily HyperoodontidaeGenus Hyperoodon

ampullatus, Northern Bottlenose Whaleplanifrons, Southern Bottlenose Whale

Genus Indopacetuspacificus Indo-Pacific Beaked Whale

Genus Mesoplodon, Mesoplodont Whalebidens, Sowerby's Beaked Whalebowdoini, Andrews' Beaked Whalecarlhubbsi, Hubbs' Beaked Whaledensirostris, Blainville's Beaked Whaleeuropaeus, Gervais' Beaked Whaleginkgodens, Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whalegrayi, Gray's Beaked Whalehectori, Hector's Beaked Whalelayardii, Layard's Beaked Whalemirus, True's Beaked Whaleperuvianus, Pygmy Beaked Whalestejnegeri, Stejneger's Beaked Whaletraversii, Spade Toothed Whale

Genus TasmacetusShepherdi, Tasman Beaked Whale

Genus ZiphiusCavirostris, Cuvier's Beaked Whale

Rough-toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis,

Questions?