Edited by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara and Giovanni Bearzi
Classification of the Order Cetacea as adopted by the International Whaling Commission (Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 2003), with updates proposed by the editors following recent taxonomic revisions and new discoveries.
Common names in Italian based on Notarbartolo di Sciara and Cagnolaro (1987)* except for "NEW" names, proposed by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara and Giovanni Bearzi following recent taxonomic revisions and new discoveries.
* Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Cagnolaro, L. 1987. I nomi italiani dei cetacei. It. J. Zool. 4:359-365.
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A site with cetacean names in German also exists and it is has been based on the table below. While we take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided there, we find that initiative very valuable.
|
Taxon |
Scientific name |
|
|
| Suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales or mysticetes) | |||
|
Family Balaenidae |
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|
|
Eubalaena australis |
southern right whale |
balena franca australe |
|
Eubalaena glacialis |
North Atlantic right whale |
balena franca nordatlantica NEW | |
|
Eubalaena japonica |
North Pacific right whale |
balena franca nordpacifica NEW | |
|
Balaena mysticetus |
bowhead whale |
balena della Groenlandia | |
|
Family Neobalaenidae |
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|
|
Caperea marginata |
pygmy right whale |
caperea |
| Family Eschrichtiidae | |||
|
|
Eschrichtius robustus |
gray whale |
balena grigia |
|
Family Balaenopteridae |
|||
|
Balaenoptera acutorostrata |
common minke whale |
balenottera minore | |
|
Balaenoptera bonaerensis |
Antarctic minke whale |
balenottera minore antartica NEW | |
| Balaenoptera borealis | sei whale | balenottera boreale | |
| Balaenoptera brydei | Bryde's whale | balenottera di Bryde | |
| Balaenoptera edeni | Eden's whale | balenottera di Eden NEW | |
|
Balaenoptera musculus |
blue whale |
balenottera azzurra | |
|
Balaenoptera omurai |
Omura's whale |
balenottera di Omura NEW | |
|
Balaenoptera physalus |
fin whale |
balenottera comune | |
|
Megaptera novaeangliae |
humpback whale |
megattera | |
| Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales or odontocetes) | |||
|
Family Physeteridae |
|||
|
|
Physeter macrocephalus |
sperm whale |
capodoglio |
|
Family Kogiidae |
|||
|
|
Kogia breviceps |
pygmy sperm whale |
cogia di De Blainville |
|
Kogia sima |
dwarf sperm whale |
cogia di Owen | |
|
Family Platanistidae |
|||
|
|
Platanista gangetica |
South Asian river dolphin |
platanista NEW |
|
Family Pontoporiidae |
|||
|
|
Pontoporia blainvillei |
franciscana |
pontoporia |
|
Family Lipotidae |
|||
|
|
Lipotes vexillifer |
baiji |
lipote |
|
Note |
The baiji is though to be functionally exctinct, both in the wild and in captivity. A dedicated survey conducted in December 2006 in China's Yangtze River found no trace of these animals. A few baiji may still exist in their native Yangtze habitat in eastern China but not in sufficient numbers to breed and ward off extinction. If confirmed, this will be the first and only modern cetacean species (and family) to disappear due to human impact. |
||
|
Family Iniidae |
|||
|
|
Inia geoffrensis |
boto |
inia |
|
Family Monodontidae |
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|
|
Delphinapterus leucas |
white whale |
beluga |
|
Monodon monoceros |
narwhal |
narvalo | |
|
Family Phocoenidae |
|||
|
Phocoena phocoena |
harbour porpoise |
focena comune | |
|
Phocoena spinipinnis |
Burmeister's porpoise |
focena spinipinne | |
|
Phocoena sinus |
vaquita |
focena del Golfo di California | |
|
Phocoena dioptrica |
spectacled porpoise |
focena dagli occhiali | |
|
Neophocaena phocaenoides |
finless porpoise |
neofocena | |
|
Phocoenoides dalli |
Dall's porpoise |
focenoide | |
|
Family Delphinidae |
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|
Steno bredanensis |
rough-toothed dolphin |
steno | |
|
Sousa chinensis |
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin |
susa indopacifica | |
|
Sousa teuszii |
Atlantic humpback dolphin |
susa atlantica | |
|
Sotalia fluviatilis |
tucuxi |
sotalia | |
|
Lagenorhynchus albirostris |
white-beaked dolphin |
lagenorinco rostrobianco | |
|
Lagenorhynchus acutus |
Atlantic white-sided dolphin |
lagenorinco acuto | |
|
Lagenorhynchus obscurus |
dusky dolphin |
lagenorinco scuro | |
|
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens |
Pacific white-sided dolphin |
lagenorinco dai denti obliqui | |
|
Lagenorhynchus cruciger |
hourglass dolphin |
lagenorinco dalla croce | |
|
Lagenorhynchus australis |
Peale's dolphin |
lagenorinco australe | |
|
Grampus griseus |
Risso's dolphin |
grampo | |
|
Tursiops truncatus |
common bottlenose dolphin |
tursiope | |
|
Tursiops aduncus |
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin |
tursiope indo-pacifico NEW | |
|
Stenella frontalis |
Atlantic spotted dolphin |
stenella maculata atlantica | |
|
Stenella attenuata |
pantropical spotted dolphin |
stenella maculata pantropicale | |
|
Stenella longirostris |
spinner dolphin |
stenella dal lungo rostro | |
|
Stenella clymene |
clymene dolphin |
stenella climene | |
|
Stenella coeruleoalba |
striped dolphin |
stenella striata | |
|
Delphinus delphis |
short-beaked common dolphin |
delfino comune | |
|
Delphinus capensis |
long-beaked common dolphin |
delfino comune dal lungo rostro NEW | |
|
Lagenodelphis hosei |
Fraser's dolphin |
lagenodelfino | |
|
Lissodelphis borealis |
northern right whale dolphin |
lissodelfino boreale | |
|
Lissodelphis peronii |
southern right whale dolphin |
lissodelfino australe | |
|
Cephalorhynchus commersonii |
Commerson's dolphin |
cefalorinco di Commerson | |
|
Cephalorhynchus eutropia |
Chilean dolphin |
cefalorinco eutropia | |
|
Cephalorhynchus heavisidii |
Heaviside's dolphin |
cefalorinco di Heaviside | |
|
Cephalorhynchus hectori |
Hector's dolphin |
cefalorinco di Hector | |
|
Peponocephala electra |
melon-headed whale |
peponocefalo | |
|
Feresa attenuata |
pygmy killer whale |
feresa | |
|
Pseudorca crassidens |
false killer whale |
pseudorca | |
|
Orcinus orca |
killer whale |
orca | |
|
Globicephala melas |
long-finned pilot whale |
globicefalo | |
|
Globicephala macrorhynchus |
short-finned pilot whale |
globicefalo di Gray | |
|
Orcaella heinsohni |
Australian snubfin dolphin |
orcella australiana NEW | |
|
Orcaella brevirostris |
Irrawaddy dolphin |
orcella asiatica NEW | |
|
Family Ziphiidae |
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|
Tasmacetus shepherdi |
Shepherd's beaked whale |
tasmaceto | |
|
Berardius bairdii |
Baird's beaked whale |
berardio boreale | |
|
Berardius arnuxii |
Arnoux's beaked whale |
berardio australe | |
|
Mesoplodon pacificus |
Longman's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Longman | |
|
Mesoplodon bidens |
Sowerby's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Sowerby | |
|
Mesoplodon densirostris |
Blainville's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di De Blainville | |
|
Mesoplodon europaeus |
Gervais' beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Gervais | |
|
Mesoplodon layardii |
strap-toothed whale |
mesoplodonte di Layard | |
|
Mesoplodon hectori |
Hector's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Hector | |
|
Mesoplodon grayi |
Gray's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Gray | |
|
Mesoplodon stejnegeri |
Stejneger's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Stejneger | |
|
Mesoplodon bowdoini |
Andrews' beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Bowdoin | |
|
Mesoplodon mirus |
True's beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di True | |
|
Mesoplodon gingkodens |
ginkgo-toothed beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Nishiwaki | |
|
Mesoplodon carlhubbsi |
Hubbs' beaked whale |
mesoplodonte di Hubbs | |
|
Mesoplodon peruvianus |
pygmy beaked whale |
mesoplodonte pigmeo NEW | |
|
Mesoplodon traversii |
spade-toothed whale |
mesoplodonte di Travers NEW | |
| Mesoplodon perrini | Perrin's beaked whale | mesoplodonte di Perrin NEW | |
|
Ziphius cavirostris |
Cuvier's beaked whale |
zifio | |
|
Hyperoodon ampullatus |
northern bottlenose whale |
iperodonte boreale | |
|
Hyperoodon planifrons |
southern bottlenose whale |
iperodonte australe | |
Common name 
Nome comune
