Family Delphinidae - Ocean Dolphins (32 species in 17 genera)
The family Delphinidae has been called a “taxonomic trash basket,” because many small to medium-sized odontocetes of various forms have been lumped together in this group for centuries. Consequently, the so-called delphinids are diverse in form. They range in size from the 1 to 1.8 m dolphins of the genera Sotalia and Cephalorhynchus to the killer whale, in which males can reach lengths of at least 9.8 m. However, most delphinids share the following characteristics: a marine habitat, a noticeable beak, conical teeth, and a large falcate dorsal fin set near the middle of the back. There are exceptions to every one of these rules, except the presence of basically conical teeth.
Genera
Genus Cephalorhynchus containing 4 species:
Cephalorhynchus commersonii (Commerson's dolphin)
Cephalorhynchus eutropia (Black dolphin)
Cephalorhynchus heavisidii (Heaviside's dolphin)
Cephalorhynchus hectori (Hector's dolphin)
Genus Delphinus containing 2 species:
Delphinus capensis (Long-beaked common dolphin)
Delphinus delphis (Short-beaked common dolphin)
Genus Feresa containing 1 species:
Feresa attenuata (Pygmy killer whale)
Genus Globicephala containing 2 species:
Globicephala macrorhynchus (Short-finned pilot whale)
Globicephala melas (Long-finned pilot whale)
Genus Grampus containing 1 species:
Grampus griseus (Risso's dolphin)
Genus Lagenodelphis containing 1 species:
Lagenodelphis hosei (Fraser's dolphin)
Genus Lagenorhynchus containing 6 species:
Lagenorhynchus acutus (Atlantic white-sided dolphin)
Lagenorhynchus albirostris (White-beaked dolphin)
Lagenorhynchus australis (Peale's dolphin)
Lagenorhynchus cruciger (Hourglass dolphin)
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Pacific white-sided dolphin)
Lagenorhynchus obscurus (Dusky dolphin)
Genus Lissodelphis containing 2 species:
Lissodelphis borealis (Northern right whale dolphin)
Lissodelphis peronii (Southern right whale dolphin)
Genus Orcaella containing 1 species:
Orcaella brevirostris (Irrawaddy dolphin)
Genus Orcinus containing 1 species:
Orcinus orca (Killer whale)
Genus Peponocephala containing 1 species:
Peponocephala electra (Melon-headed whale)
Genus Pseudorca containing 1 species:
Pseudorca crassidens (False killer whale)
Genus Sotalia containing 1 species:
Sotalia fluviatilis (Tucuxi)
Genus Sousa containing 2 species:
Sousa chinensis (Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin)
Sousa teuszii ( Atlantic hump-backed dolphin)
Genus Stenella containing 5 species:
Stenella attenuata (Pantropical spotted dolphin)
Stenella clymene (Clymene dolphin)
Stenella coeruleoalba (Striped dolphin)
Stenella frontalis (Atlantic spotted dolphin)
Stenella longirostris (Spinner dolphin)
Genus Steno containing 1 species:
Steno bredanensis (Rough-toothed dolphin)
Genus Tursiops containing 1 species:
Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose dolphin)