The Zoochat Photographic Guide To Cetaceans

INIIDAE
Taxonomic note: Some authors split this family in Pontoporiidae and Iniidae.
Two to four species in two genera, depending of the taxonomy school choosed.
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Pontoporia
La Plata dolphins
One species

La Plata dolphin Pontoporia blainvillei
Taxonomic note: When I first met this species it was called Stenodelphis blainvillei. Looks like that Pontoporia (1846) was published a year before Stenodelphis (1847) and hence have priority.
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

Inia
Amazon river dolphins
One to three species depending on the taxonomy school choosen.

Amazon river dolphin Inia geoffrensis
Four subspecies recognized.

Araguaian river dolphin Inia geoffrensis araguaiensis
Taxonomic note: Often considered as a different species Inia araguaiensis. The physical differences in widht of skull and number of teeth overlaps with those of other taxa, and the only true difference is the DNA, it was not recognized as a different species until so late as 2014 and based in a study that only examined the extremes of the series, and Amazon river dolphins are long distance travelers with often geneting exchange between distant populations. Therefore here will be treated as a subspecies.
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Bolivian river dolphin Inia geoffrensis boliviensis
Taxonomic note: Basically same than in previous subspecies.
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Amazon river dolphin Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis
Photo by @devilfish at Quistococha Zoo, Peru


Orinoco river dolphin Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana
Photo of @Noodles at Duisburg zoo, Germany. This individual, an old male informally called "Baby", the only captive river dolphin outside its native range, is probably the best known cetacean in the world in Zoochat community.

 

The family Iniidae sensu lato also includes the Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), tough if the family is spilt, then it would belong to family Lipotidae. Extinct species are not covered in Zoochat mammal photographical guides, but this species is so recently extinct that there are colour photos of alive specimens in Internet (sadly none on Zoochat), and the fame of the species is so big, that I will include an image in this guide:

Photo by @Chlidonias at National Zoological Museum of China, of a taxidermy specimen, a young male caught in 1973 at Echeng, Hubei province.

 

DELPHINIDAE
Oceanic dolphins
Thirty four to thirty nine species depending of the taxonomy school choosen, in seventeen genus.
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Steno
Rough-toothed dolphins
One species

Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland at Gulf World Marine Park of Panama City Beach, Florida, USA

 

Sousa
Humpback dolphins
Two to four species depending on taxonomic school choosen.

Indopacific humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis
Three subspecies recognized.

Chinese white dolphin Sousa chinensis chinensis
Photo by @Himimomi at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China


Indian humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis plumbea
Taxonomic note: Often considered a different species, Sousa plumbea. This is not worldwide accepted. After Rice's spliting in 2000, Ross argued that they are a simple, variable species as considered before. The only differences are genetic as they are morphologically identical, and they are intermixing in the overlapping part of their ranges.
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Australian humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis sahulensis
Taxonomic note: Often considered a different species, Sousa sahulensis. Despite genetic distance being a bit bigger than between two previous subspecies, this is highly discutible.
Photo by @LaughingDove at SeaWorld Gold Coast, Australia


Atlantic humpback dolphin Sousa teuszii
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

Sotalia
Tucuxi
One species.

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis
Two subspecies recognized.

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis fluviatilis
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Costero Sotalia fluviatlis guianensis
Taxonomic note: Widely accepted as a different species, Sotalia guianensis. However, they was previously treated as just marine and freshwater varieties of the same species, the morphological differences are minimal and the fact of being genetically different only demonstrates that they are different taxa, but not necessarily enough to be considered different species.
Photo by @Animal at Allwetterzoo Münster, Germany.

 

Lagenorhynchus
Taxonomic note: Genetic analysis made think that this genus is paraphyletic, being L. albirostris and L. acutus in a clade and the remaining species in another clade, being renamed as in genus Sagmatias.
Six species.

White-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris
Monotypic.
Photo by @Merintia at Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands.


Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild off Nova Scotia, Canada.


Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
By far the most commonly seen of the genus in captivity, and one of the most commonly seen non-bottlenose dolphins in captivity.
Monotypic.
Photo by @Newzooboy at Vancouver Aquarium, Canada.


Dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus
Taxonomic note: Very closely related genetically with previous species, and maybe it should be merged in a single species. However there are enough morphological, ethological and biogeographical differences for guarantee a species status, and the divergence of both sister species was also enough old for that.
Four subspecies recognized.

Indian Ocean dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus obscurus
Taxonomic note: An additional, unnamed subspecies may be described in the future for New Zealand population. Today it's treated under nominate subspecies.
Photo by @Najade of the New Zealand population, in the wild near Kaikoura, New Zealand.


South American dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus fitroyi
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

African dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus posidonia
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild off Cape Town, South Africa.


Lagenorhynchus obscurus superciliosus
Taxonomic note: This seems to be the most dubious subspecies and it's validity maybe not recognized.
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Peale's dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild near Punta Arenas, Chile.


Hourglass dolphin Lagenorhynchus cruciger
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

Grampus
Risso's dolphins
One species.

Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus
Monotypic.
Photo by @Deer Forest at Weihai Shendiaoshan Wildlife Park, China.

 

Tursiops
Bottlenose dolphins
One to four species depending of the taxonomic school choosen. Here they will well considered as two species.

Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Three to four subspecies recognized, depending of the taxonomic school choose.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus truncatus
With enormous difference this is the most commonly kept captive cetacean in the world.
Photo by @Moebelle at Seven Seas exhibit of Brookfield zoo, USA.


Black Sea bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus ponticus
Photo by @Maguari at Oceanographic Valencia.


Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus gillii
Taxonomic note: Sometimes elevated to species level (Tursiops gillii), this is not widely accepted.
Photo by @alexkant at Dolphinarium Nemo, Ukraine



Burrunan dolphin Tursiops truncatus australis
Taxonomic note: Usually considered as a different species (Tursiops australis), but described as recently as in 2011 and previously considered as part of Tursiops truncatus. There are differences in skull, coloration and DNA, that make it a different taxon, but not necessarily a different species and formerly these differences was considered not enough for that distinction.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Indopacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus
Monotypic.
Photo by @Zooish at Marine Life Park, Singapore.


In addition, there is a photo of an hybrid False orca x Bottlenose dolphin (Pseudorca crassidens x Tursiops truncatus), called a "Wholphin". Photo by @Hix at Sea Life Park Hawaii.

 

Stenella
Bridled dolphins
Five species recognized.

Pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata
Taxonomic note: There are two populations that could be considered additional subspecies, but they're still undescribed and unnamed: the Eastern Pacific form and the Hawaiian form.
Two subspecies recognized.

Stenella attenuata attenuata
Photo by @Maguari at Mote Marine Laboratory, USA


Stenella attenuata graffmani
Photo by @ralph taken near Canõ Island in Costa Rica, Pacific ocean. By geography and distance to shore, probably it belongs to this subspecies, but confirmation needed.


Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland at Dolphin Research Center, Florida, USA. The photo shows a juvenile specimen, heavy spotting only appears in adult specimens.


Spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris
Four subspecies recognized.
Photo by @Hix of unknown subspecies, in the wild near Christmas Island. This will be nominate subspecies if taken in outer waters of open ocean, or subspecies roseiventris if taken in shallow coastal waters.


Eastern spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris orientalis
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Costa Rican spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris centroamericana
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Gray's spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris longirostris
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild near Maui Island, Hawaii Islands


Dwarf spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris roseiventris
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet (but see comment for the photo under the species).

Clymene dolphin Stenella clymene
Taxonomic note: This species is originated by natural hybridation between Stenella longirostris and Stenella coeruleoalba, becoming stabilished as a species on its own. Maybe this should mean that Stenella longirostris and S. coeruleoalba (and of course S. clymene) are forms of a single species, but it's universally accepted that each one is a different species. Also was considered for long time as a subspecies of Stenella longirostris, but before being able to doing a complete study of the taxon.
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba
Monotypic.
Photo by @Maguari in the wild at Bay of Biscay, in the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander.

 

Delphinus
Common dolphins
Two species recognized.

Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis
Two subspecies recognized.

Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis delphis
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild at Long Beach, California, USA


Black Sea common dolphin Delphinus delphis ponticus
Taxonomic note: The status of this taxon is not completely clear, and it could be a lesser rank taxon than a subspecies, but generally is accepted as a subspecies.
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis
Taxonomic note: Sometimes merged with Delphinus delphis in a single species.
Two subspecies recognized.

Long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis capensis
Photo by @Fireplume in the wild at Monterey Bay, USA.


Arabian common dolphin Delphinus capensis tropicalis
Taxonomic note: Sometimes elevated to species level (Delphinus tropicalis) but this is not widely accepted.
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

In addition, there is a photo of an hybrid Short-beaked common dolphin x Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Delphinus delphis x Tursiops truncatus truncatus). Photo by @Giant Eland at SeaWorld San Diego, California, USA.

 

Lagenodelphis
Fraser's dolphins
One species recognized.

Fraser's dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

The common name and the subspecific name used above for the bottlenose are contrary to the names you used in the previous listing for the Bottlenoses.



Hix

 

Lissodelphis
Right whale dolphins
Two species recognized.

Northern right whale dolphin Lissodelphis borealis
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Southern right whale dolphin Lissodelphis peronii
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

Ooops! I somewhat mixed Atlantic with Pacific! Thanks for advert this error. Fortunately I was still at time for edit the post, so now subspecies of bottlenose is fixed.

 

Cephalorhynchus
Four species recognized.

Commerson's dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii
Two subspecies recognized.

South American Commerson's dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii commersonii
Photo by @Giant Eland at Toba Aquarium, Japan.


Kerguelen Islands Commerson's dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii kerguelenensis
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

Chilean dolphin Cephalorhynchus eutropia
Monotypic.
Photo by @devilfish in the wild at Chilean coast.


Heaviside's dolphin Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild off Cape Town, South Africa.


Hector's dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori
Two subspecies recognized.

South Island Hector's dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori
Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild at New Zealand.


Maui's dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori maui
No photos of this subspecies have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

Peponocephala
Melon-headed whale
One species recognized.

Melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra
Monotypic.
No photos of this species have been uploaded to the Gallery yet.

 

Feresa
Pygmy killer whales
One species recognized.

Pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, USA.

 

Pseudorca
False killer whales
One species recognized.

False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens
Monotypic.
Photo by @Giant Eland at SeaWorld Orlando, USA