Cetaceans
Porpoise, dolphins & whales.
Cetaceans:
Globally up to 90 species of cetaceans (porpoise, dolphins and whales) have been described.
That includes 15 species of baleen whales and up to 75 species of toothed whales, including lesser known species such as the beaked whales.
Cetaceans are classified based on their dentation, or lack thereof. Mysticeti, or baleen whales lack teeth, and instead have baleen plates (bristle-like structures) that hang from their upper jaw. They use these to filter feed small schooling fish species. Toothed whales or Odontoceti have teeth which vary in number and size depending on the species.
Why are Cetacean Important to Protect?
Whales are farmers of the ocean, fertilising the waters through their poo!
Whale poo helps to promote the growth of microscopic plants called phytoplankton that use CO2 and sunlight to create over 70% of the Earth's oxygen!
CETACEAN ID PORTAL
Cetaceans are highly mobile and intelligent marine mammals that can range over vast distances. This " Cetacean Identification Portal " will guide you to through the the great diversity of Cetacea found in Irish waters and help you to learn to identify different species and find out more about their ecology, biology and physiology.
Cetacean Species in Irish Waters
List of Services
-
Blue whaleList Item 1
Blue whale (Baleanoptera musculus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridea
Genus: Balaenoptera
Species: B. musculus
-
Fin whaleList Item 2
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Species: B. physalus
-
Sei whale
Sei whale (Balenoptera borealis)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Species: B. borealis
-
Minke whaleList Item 4
Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Species: B. acutorostrata
-
Humpback whaleList Item 3
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Megaptera
Gray, 1846
Species:M. novaeangliae
-
Sperm whale
Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Physeteridae
Genus: Physeter
Species: P. macrocephalus
-
Killer whale
Killer whale (Orcinus orca)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Orcinus
Species: O. orca
-
Pilot whale
Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Globicephala
Species: G. melas
Traill, 1809
-
Risso's Dolphin
Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Grampus
Species: G. griseus
-
Bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Tursiops
Species: Tursiops truncatus
Gervais, 1855
-
Common dolphin
Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Delphinus
Species: Delphis
-
Striped dolphin
Striped dolphin (Stellena coerileoalba)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Stenella
Species: S. coerileoalba
-
Atlantic White-sided dolphin
Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Species: L. acutus
-
Atlantic white-beaked dolphin
Atlantic white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Species: L. albirostris
-
Harbour porpoise
Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Phocoenidae
Genus: Phocoena
Species: P. phocoena
-
Sowerby's beaked whale
Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Mesoplodon
Species: M. bidens
-
Cuvier's beaked whale
Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Ziphius
Species: Z. cavirostris
-
Blainville's beaked whale
Blainviille's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Mesoplodon
Species: M. densirostris
-
Gervais' beaked whale
Gervais' beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Mesoplodon
Species: M. europaeus
-
True's beaked whale
True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Mesoplodon
Species: M. mirus
-
Northern bottlenose whale
Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Hyperoodon
Species: H. ampullatus
-
North Atlantic Right whale
North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenidae
Genus: Eubalaena
Species: glacialis
-
Bowhead whale
Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Balaenidae
Genus: Balaena
Species: B. mysticetus