Scientific names of all North American cetaceans with common names most in use. Maximum size indicated. Region: (A) Atlantic Ocean, (P) Pacific Ocean, (C) Circumpolar | Common Name | Size-Region | | Order Cetacea | Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises | | Suborder Odontoceti | Toothed Whales | | Family Ziphiidae | Beaked Whales | | Genus Berardius | | Berardius bairdii | Baird’s Beaked Whale | 42 ft. | (P) | | Genus Mesoplodon | | Mesoplodon bidens | Sowerby’s Beaked Whale | 16 ft. | (A) | | Mesoplodon densirostris | Blainville’s Beaked Whale | 15 ft. | (A) | | Mesoplodon europaeus | Gervais’ Beaked Whale | 16 ft. | (A) | | Mesoplodon mirus | True’s Beaked Whale | 17 ft. | (A) | | Mesoplodon stejnegeri | Stejneger’s Beaked Whale | 20 ft. | (P) | | Genus Ziphius | | Ziphius Cavirostris | Cuvier’s Beaked Whale | 28 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Hyperoodon | | Hyperoodon ampullatus | Flat-headed Bottlenosed Whale | 30 ft. | (A) | | Family Physeteridae | Sperm Whales | | Genus Physeter | | Physeter catodon | Sperm Whale | 60 ft. | (A-P) | | | Family Kogiidae | Pigmy Sperm Whales | | Genus Kogia | | Kogia breviceps | Pigmy Sperm Whale | 13 ft. | (A-P) | | Family Vonodontidae | White Whale and Narwhal | | Genus Delphinapterus | | Delphinapterus leucas | White Whale (Beluga) | 18 ft. | (C) | | Genus Monodon | | Monodon monoceros | Narwhal | 12 ft. | (C) | | Family Delphinidae | Dolphins and Porpoises | | Genus Stenella | | Stenella attenuata | Slender-beaked Porpoise | 6 ft. | (P) | | Stenella frontalis | Cuvier’s Porpoise | 6 ft. | (A) | | Stenella graffmani | Graffman’s Porpoise | 8 ft. | (P) | | Stenella longirostris | Long-beaked Porpoise | 7 ft. | (P) | | Stenella microps | Small-headed Porpoise | 8 ft. | (P) | | Stenella plagiodon | Spotted Porpoise | 7 ft. | (A) | | Stenella styx | Gray’s Porpoise | 8 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Steno | | Steno bredanensis | Rough-toothed Porpoise | 8 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Delphinus | | Delphinus delphis | Atlantic Dolphin | 8 ft. | (A) | | Delphinus bairdii | Pacific Dolphin | 7 ft. | (P) | | Genus Tursiops | | Tursiops truncatus | Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphin | 12 ft. | (A) | | Tursiops gillii | Gill’s Bottle-nosed Dolphin | 12 ft. | (P) | | Tursiops nuuanu | Pacific Bottle-nosed Dolphin | 7 ft. | (P) | | | Genus Lissodelphis | | Lissodelphis borealis | Right-whale Dolphin | 8 ft. | (P) | | Genus Lagenorhynchus | | Lagenorhynchus albirostris | White-Beaked Dolphin | 10 ft. | (A) | | Lagenorhynchus acutus | Atlantic White-sided Dolphin | 9 ft. | (A) | | Lagenorhynchus obliquidens | Pacific White-sided Dolphin | 7 ft. | (P) | | Lagenorhynchus thicolea | Gray’s White-sided Dolphin | 9 ft. | (P) | | Genus Grampus | | Grampus orca | Atlantic Killer Whale | 30 ft. | (A) | | Grampus rectipinna | Pacific Killer Whale | 30 ft. | (P) | | Genus Grampidelphis | | Grampidelphis Griseus | Grampus or Risso’s Dolphin | 13 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Pseudorca | | Pseudorca crassidens | False Killer Whale | 18 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Globicephala | | Globicephala melaena | Common Blackfish or (Pilot Whale) | 28 ft. | (A) | | Globicephala macrorhyncha | Short-finned Blackfish | 20 ft. | (A) | | Globicephala scammonii | Pacific Blackfish | 16 ft. | (P) | | Genus Feresa | | Feresa occulta | Slender Blackfish | 8 ft. | (P) | | Genus Phocoena | | Phocoena phocoena | Atlantic Harbor Porpoise | 6 ft. | (A) | | Phocoena vomerina | Pacific Harbor Porpoise | 6 ft. | (A) | | Genus Phocoenoides | | Phocoenoides dalli | Dall’s Porpoise | 7 ft. | (P) | | | Suborder Mysticeti | Baleen Whales | | Family Eschrichtidae | Gray Whale | | Genus Eschrichtius | | Eschrichtius glaucus | California Gray Whale | 50 ft. | (P) | | Family Balaenopteridae | Fin-backed Whales | | Genus Balaenoptera | | Balaenoptera physalus | Fin-backed Whale | 81 ft. | (A-P) | | Balaenoptera borealis | Rorqual (Sei Whale) | 60 ft. | (A-P) | | Balaenoptera acutorostrata | Little Piked Whale | 33 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Sibbaldus | | Sibbaldus musculus | Blue (Sulphur-bottom) Whale | 100 ft. | (A-P) | | Genus Megaptera | | Megaptera novaeangliae | Hump-backed Whale | 50 ft. | (A-P) | | Family Balaenidae | Right and Bowhead Whales | | Genus Eubalaena | | Eubalaena glacialis | Atlantic Right Whale | 70 ft. | (A) | | Eubalaena sieboldii | Pacific Right Whale | 65 ft. | (P) | | Genus Balaena | | Balaena mysticetus | Bowhead Whale | 65 ft. | (C) |
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