TAXONOMY Taxonomy
represents our attempts to classify nature. The
methods used to designate species and subspecies are
varied and not always precise. In recent years,
genetic information has been used to reclassify
certain previously accepted designations of species
and subspecies. Such work continues. In fact, from a
management perspective, information at a smaller
level than species (i.e. populations) is required.
The tables below represent the list of scientific
and common names accepted by the IWC Scientific
Committee at the time of writing. Note that the
common name ‘whale’, is often associated with
species other than the ‘great whales’ (the baleen
whales plus the sperm whale).
The 1946 Convention does not define a ‘whale’,
although a list of names in a number of languages
was annexed to the Final Act of the Convention. Some
Governments take the view that the IWC has the legal
competence to regulate catches of only these named
great whales (the baleen whales and the sperm
whale). Others believe that all cetaceans, including
the smaller dolphins and porpoises, also fall within
IWC jurisdiction.
The following tables are split into baleen and
toothed cetaceans and include all species currently
recognised by the Scientific Committee.
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Suborder Mysticeti
(baleen whales or mysticetes) |
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Family |
Scientific name |
IWC Common name |
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Family Balaenidae |
Eubalaena australis
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southern right whale |
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Eubalaena glacialis
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North Atlantic right whale |
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Eubalaena japonica |
North Pacific right whale |
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Balaena mysticetus |
bowhead whale |
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Family Neobalaenidae |
Caperea marginata |
pygmy right whale |
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Family Eschrichtiidae |
Eschrichtius robustus
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gray whale |
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Family Balaenopteridae |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
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Common minke whale |
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Balaenoptera bonaerensis |
Antarctic minke whale |
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Balaenoptera borealis
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sei whale |
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Balaenoptera edeni * |
Bryde's whale |
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Balaenoptera musculus
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blue whale |
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Balaenoptera physalus
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fin whale |
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Balaenoptera omurai |
Omura’s whale |
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Megaptera novaeangliae
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humpback whale |
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| * includes more than one
species, but nomenclature still unsettled |
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Suborder Odontoceti
(toothed whales or odontocetes) |
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Family |
Scientific name |
IWC Common name |
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Family Physeteridae |
Physeter macrocephalus
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sperm whale |
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Family Kogiidae |
Kogia breviceps |
pygmy sperm whale |
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Kogia sima |
dwarf sperm whale |
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Family Platanistidae |
Platanista gangetica
gangetica |
South Asian river dolphin |
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Family Pontoporiidae |
Pontoporia blainvillei
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franciscana |
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Family Lipotidae |
Lipotes vexillifer |
baiji |
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Family Iniidae |
Inia geoffrensis |
boto |
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Family Monodontidae |
Delphinapterus leucas
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white whale |
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Monodon monoceros |
narwhal |
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Family Phocoenidae |
Phocoena phocoena |
harbour porpoise |
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Phocoena spinipinnis
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Burmeister's porpoise |
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Phocoena sinus |
vaquita |
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Phocoena dioptrica |
spectacled porpoise |
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Neophocaena phocaenoides
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finless porpoise |
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Phocoenoides dalli |
Dall's porpoise |
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Family Delphinidae |
Steno bredanensis |
rough-toothed dolphin |
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Sousa chinensis |
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin
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Sousa teuszii |
Atlantic humpback dolphin |
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Sotalia fluviatilis
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tucuxi |
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Sotalia guianensis |
Guiana dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus albirostris
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white-beaked dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus acutus
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Atlantic white-sided dolphin
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Lagenorhynchus obscurus
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dusky dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
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Pacific white-sided dolphin
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Lagenorhynchus cruciger
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hourglass dolphin |
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Lagenorhynchus australis
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Peale's dolphin |
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Grampus griseus |
Risso's dolphin |
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Tursiops truncatus |
Common bottlenose dolphin |
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Tursiops aduncus |
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin |
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Stenella frontalis |
Atlantic spotted dolphin |
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Stenella attenuata |
pantropical spotted dolphin
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Stenella longirostris
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spinner dolphin |
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Stenella clymene |
clymene dolphin |
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Stenella coeruleoalba
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striped dolphin |
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Delphinus delphis |
common dolphin |
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Delphinus capensis |
long-beaked common dolphin |
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Lagenodelphis hosei
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Fraser's dolphin |
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Lissodelphis borealis
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northern right whale dolphin
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Lissodelphis peronii
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southern right whale dolphin
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Cephalorhynchus commersonii
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Commerson's dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus eutropia
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Chilean dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
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Heaviside's dolphin |
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Cephalorhynchus hectori
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Hector's dolphin |
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Peponocephala electra
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melon-headed whale |
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Feresa attenuata |
pygmy killer whale |
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Pseudorca crassidens
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false killer whale |
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Orcinus orca |
killer whale |
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Globicephala melas |
long-finned pilot whale |
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Globicephala macrorhynchus
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short-finned pilot whale |
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Orcaella brevirostris
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Irrawaddy dolphin |
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Orcaella heinsohni |
Australian snubfin dolphin |
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Family Ziphiidae |
Tasmacetus shepherdi
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Shepherd's beaked whale |
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Berardius bairdii |
Baird's beaked whale |
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Berardius arnuxii |
Arnoux's beaked whale |
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Indopacetus pacificus
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Longman's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon bidens |
Sowerby's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon densirostris
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Blainville's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon europaeus
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Gervais' beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon layardii
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strap-toothed whale |
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Mesoplodon hectori |
Hector's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon grayi |
Gray's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon stejnegeri
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Stejneger's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon bowdoini
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Andrews' beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon mirus |
True's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon ginkgodens
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ginkgo-toothed beaked whale
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Mesoplodon carlhubbsi
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Hubbs' beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon perrini |
Perrin's beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon peruvianus
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pygmy beaked whale |
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Mesoplodon traversii |
spade-toothed whale |
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Ziphius cavirostris
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Cuvier's beaked whale |
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Hyperoodon ampullatus
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northern bottlenose whale |
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Hyperoodon planifrons
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southern bottlenose whale |
