Order - Cetacea

Class: Mammalia

Subclass: Theria

Infraclass: Eutheria

Order: Cetacea

Name derivation: “sea monster”

Number of known Species: 96

Suborder: Mysticeti (baleen whales)

  • Family: Balaenidae (4 species - bowhead and right whales)
  • Family: Balaenopteridae (9 species - rorqual whales)
  • Family: Eschrichtiidae (1 species - grey whale)
  • Family: Neobalaenidae (1 species - pygmy right whale)

Suborder: Odontoceti (toothed whales)

  • Family: Delphinidae (40 species - dolphins, pilot whales, killer whales)
  • Family: Hyperoodontidae (24 species - beaked whales)
  • Family: Iniidae (1 species - Amazon river dolphin)
  • Family: Kogiidae (2 species - small sperm whale)
  • Family: Lipotidae (1 species - Chinese river dolphin) EXTINCT?
  • Family: Monodontidae (2 species - white whales)
  • Family: Phocoenidae (7 species - porpoises)
  • Family: Physeteridae (1 species - sperm whale)
  • Family: Platanistidae (2 species - South Asian river dolphins)
  • Family: Pontoporiidae (1 species - La Plata dolphin)

Notes: Based on Catalogue of Life as of July 2024. Recognised as being part of the Artiodactyla but kept as a separate order by the Catalogue of Life for historical reasons