List of marine mammal species

Marine mammals comprise over 130 living and recently extinct species in three taxonomic orders. The Society for Marine Mammalogy, an international scientific society, maintains a list of valid species and subspecies, most recently updated in October 2015.^[1] This list follows the Society's taxonomy regarding and subspecies.

Conservation status codes listed follow the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v. 2014.3; data current at 19 January 2015^[2]) and are clickable to link to IUCN Red List species pages.

EX - extinct

EW - extinct in the wild
CR - critically endangered
EN - endangered
VU - vulnerable
NT - near threatened
LC - least concern
DD - data deficient

NE - not evaluated

Order Cetartiodactyla[edit]

Footnote on use of Cetartiodactyla^[a]

Cetacea[edit]

Mysticeti[edit]

Balaenidae[edit]

North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis EN
North Pacific right whale, Eubalaena japonica EN
Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis LC
Bowhead whale or Greenland right whale, Balaena mysticetus LC

Balaenopteridae[edit]

Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC (ssp. acutorostrata - North Atlantic minke whale NE, ssp. scammoni - North Pacific minke whale NE, unnamed ssp. dwarf minke whale NE)
Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis DD
Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis EN (ssp. borealis - northern sei whale NE, ssp. schlegellii - southern sei whale NE)
Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni DD (ssp. brydei - Bryde's whale NE, ssp. edeni - Eden's whale NE )
Omura's whale, Balaenoptera omurai DD
Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus EN (ssp. musculus - northern blue whale NE, ssp. brevicauda - pygmy blue whale DD, ssp. intermedia - southern blue whale CR, ssp. indica - great Indian blue whale NE)
Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN (ssp. patachonica pygmy fin whale NE, ssp. physalus - northern fin whale NE but Mediterranean Subpopulation VU, ssp. quoyi - southern fin whale NE)
Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC (ssp. novaeangliae North Atlantic humpback whale NE, ssp. kuzira - North Pacific humpback whale NE, ssp. australis - southern humpback whale NE but Oceania subpopulation EN, isolated subpopulation in Arabian Sea EN)

Neobalaenidae[edit]

Pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata DD

Eschrichtiidae[edit]

Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus LC

Odontoceti[edit]

Physeteridae[edit]

Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus VU

Kogiidae[edit]

Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps DD
Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus DD

Ziphiidae[edit]

Arnoux's beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii

DD

Baird's beaked whale, Berardius bairdii DD
Sato's beaked whale, Berardius minimus NT
Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus DD
Southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons LC
Tropical bottlenose whale, Indopacetus pacificus DD
Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens DD
Andrews' beaked whale, Mesoplodon bowdoini DD
Hubbs' beaked whale, Mesoplodon carlhubbsi DD
Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris DD
Gervais' beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus DD
Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodens DD
Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi DD
Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori DD
Deraniyagala's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hotaula NE
Strap-toothed whale, Mesoplodon layardii DD
True's beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus DD
Perrin's beaked whale, Mesoplodon perrini DD
Pygmy beaked whale, Mesoplodon peruvianus DD
Stejneger's beaked whale, Mesoplodon stejnegeri DD
Spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii DD
Shepherd's beaked whale, Tasmacetus shepherdi DD
Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris LC

Platanistidae[edit]

Ganges river dolphin, Platanista gangetica EN
Indus river dolphin, Platanista minor EN

Iniidae[edit]

Amazon river dolphin, Inia geoffrensis DD (ssp. geoffrensis - common boto NE, ssp. boliviensis - Bolivian bufeo NE)

Lipotidae[edit]

Baiji, Lipotes vexillifer CR, possibly EX^[9]

Pontoporiidae[edit]

La Plata dolphin (Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei VU

Monodontidae[edit]

Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas NT (Cook Inlet Subpopulation CR)
Narwhal, Monodon monoceros NT

Delphinidae[edit]

Commerson's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii DD (ssp. commersonii - Commerson's dolphin NE, ssp. kerguelenensis - Kerguelen Islands Commerson’s dolphin NE)
Chilean dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia NT
Heaviside's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii DD
Hector's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori (ssp. hectori - South Island Hector’s dolphin EN, ssp. maui - Maui's dolphin or North Island Hector’s dolphin CR)
Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis DD (ssp. capensis - long-beaked common dolphin NE, ssp. tropicalis - Indo-Pacific common dolphin NE)
Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LC (ssp. delphis - short-beaked common dolphin Mediterranean Subpopulation EN, ssp. ponticus - Black Sea common dolphin VU)
Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD
Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus DD
Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas DD (ssp. edwardii - southern long-finned pilot whale NE, ssp. melas - North Atlantic long-finned pilot whale NE, unnamed spp. - North Pacific long-finned pilot whale EX)
Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus LC
Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei LC
White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LC
Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus LC
Peale's dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis DD
Hourglass dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger LC
Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens LC
Dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus DD (ssp. fitzroyi - Fitzroy’s dolphin NE, ssp. obscurus - African dusky dolphin NE, ssp. posidonia - Chilean dusky dolphin NE, unnamed spp. - New Zealand dusky dolphin NE)
Northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis LC
Southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii DD
Irrawaddy dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris VU
Australian snubfin dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni NT
Orca (killer whale), Orcinus orca DD (unnamed ssp. - resident killer whale NE, unnamed ssp. transient killer whale NE)
Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra LC
False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens DD
Atlantic humpback dolphin, Sousa teuszii VU
Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin, Sousa chinensis NT, (ssp. chinensis - Chinese humpback dolphin NE, ssp. taiwanensis - Taiwanese humpback dolphins NE)
Indian Ocean humpback dolphin, Sousa plumbea NE
Australian humpback dolphin, Sousa sahulensis NE
Tucuxi, Sotalia fluvialis DD
Guiana dolphin (Costero), Sotalia guianensis DD
Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata LC (ssp. attenuata - Offshore pantropical spotted dolphin NE, ssp. graffmani - Coastal pantropical spotted dolphin NE)
Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene DD
Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LC
Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis DD
Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris DD (ssp. centroamericana - Central American spinner dolphin NE, ssp. longirostris - Gray’s spinner dolphin NE, ssp. orientalis - Eastern spinner dolphin VU, ssp. roseiventris - dwarf spinner dolphin NE)
Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis LC
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus DD
Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LC (ssp. truncatus - Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Fiordland subpopulation CR and Mediterranean subpopulation VU, ssp. gillii - Pacific bottlenose dolphin, ssp. poncticus - Black Sea bottlenose dolphin CR)
Burrunan dolphin, Tursiops australis NE

Phocoenidae[edit]

Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides VU
Narrow-ridged finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis VU, (spp. asiaeorientalis - Yangtze finless porpoise CR, ssp. sumameri - East Asian finless porpoise (sunameri) NE)
Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica DD
Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena LC (Baltic Sea subpopoulation CR) (ssp. phocoena - Atlantic harbour porpoise NE, ssp. vomerina - Eastern Pacific harbour porpoise NE, ssp. relicta - Black Sea harbour porpoise EN, unnamed ssp. Western Pacific harbour porpoise NE)
Vaquita, Phocoena sinus CR
Burmeister's porpoise, Phocoena spinipinnis DD
Dall’s porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli LC (ssp. dalli - Dalli-type Dall’s porpoise NE, ssp. truei - Truei-type Dall’s porpoiseNE)

Order Sirenia[edit]

Trichechidae[edit]

Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunguis VU
West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus VU (ssp. latirostris - Florida manatee EN, ssp. manatus - Antillean manatee EN)
African manatee, Trichechus senegalensis VU

Dugongidae[edit]

Dugong, Dugong dugon VU
Steller's sea cow, Hydrodamalis gigas EX

Order Carnivora[edit]

Pinnipedia[edit]

Otariidae[edit]

Brown fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus LC (ssp. pusillus - Cape fur seal NE, ssp. doriferus - Australian fur seal NE)
South American fur seal, Arctophoca australis LC (ssp. australis - South American fur seal NE, unnamed ssp. - Peruvian fur seal NE)
New Zealand fur seal, Arctophoca forsteri LC
Galápagos fur seal, Arctophoca galapagoensis EN
Antarctic fur seal, Arctophoca gazella LC
Juan Fernández fur seal, Arctophoca philippii LC
Guadalupe fur seal, Arctophoca townsendi LC
Subantarctic fur seal, Arctophoca tropicalis LC
Northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus VU
Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus NT (ssp. jubatus - western Steller sea lion EN, ssp. monteriensis - Loughlin’s Steller sea lion LC)
Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinerea EN
South American sea lion, Otaria byronia LC
New Zealand sea lion, Phocarctos hookeri EN
California sea lion, Zalophus californianus LC
Japanese sea lion, Zalophus japonicus EX
Galápagos sea lion, Zalophus wollebaeki EN

Odobenidae[edit]

Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus DD (ssp. divergens - Pacific walrus NE, ssp. rosmarus - Atlantic walrus NE)

Phocidae[edit]

Hooded seal, Cystophora cristata VU
Bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus LC (ssp. barbatus - Atlantic bearded seal NE, ssp. nauticus - Pacific bearded seal NE)
Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus LC (ssp. grypus - Western Atlantic grey seal NE, ssp. macrorhynchus - Eastern Atlantic grey seal NE)
Ribbon seal, Histriophoca fasciata DD
Leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx LC
Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii LC
Crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus LC
Southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina LC
Northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris LC
Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus CR
Hawaiian monk seal, Neomonachus schauinslandi CR
Caribbean monk seal, Neomonachus tropicalis EX
Ross seal, Ommatophoca rossii LC
Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus LC
Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina LC (ssp. vitulina - Atlantic harbor seal NE, ssp. mellonae - Ungava harbor seal NE, ssp. richardii - Pacific harbour seal NE)
Spotted seal, Phoca largha DD
Ringed seal, Pusa hispida LC (ssp. hispida - Arctic ringed seal NE, ssp. botnica - Baltic ringed seal NE , ssp. ochotensis - Okhotsk ringed seal NE, ssp. ladogensis - Lake Logoda ringed seal NE, ssp. saimensis - Saima seal )
Caspian seal, Pusa caspica EN
Baikal seal, Pusa sibirica LC

Ursidae[edit]

Polar bear, Ursus maritimus VU

Mustelidae[edit]

Sea otter, Enhydra lutris EN (ssp. kenyoni - northern sea otter NE, ssp. lutris - common sea otter NE, ssp. nereis - southern sea otter NE)
Marine otter, Lontra felina EN
Sea mink, Neovison macrodon EX

Footnotes[edit]

^ The use of Order Cetartiodactyla, instead of Cetacea with Suborders Odontoceti and Mysticeti, is favored by most evolutionary mammalogists working with molecular data^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] and is supported by the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group^[7] and by the Taxonomy Committee^[8] of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, the largest international association of marine mammal scientists in the world. See Cetartiodactyla and Marine mammal articles for further discussion.

References[edit]

^ "The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Taxonomy Committee List of Species and Subspecies". Society for Marine Mammalogy. October 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
^ Agnarsson, I.; May-Collado, LJ. (2008). "The phylogeny of Cetartiodactyla: the importance of dense taxon sampling, missing data, and the remarkable promise of cytochrome b to provide reliable species-level phylogenies". Mol Phylogenet Evol. 48 (3): 964–985. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.046. PMID 18590827.
^ Price, SA.; Bininda-Emonds, OR.; Gittleman, JL. (2005). "A complete phylogeny of the whales, dolphins and even-toed hoofed mammals – Cetartiodactyla". Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 80 (3): 445–473. doi:10.1017/s1464793105006743. PMID 16094808. S2CID 45056197.
^ Montgelard, C.; Catzeflis, FM.; Douzery, E. (1997). "Phylogenetic relationships of artiodactyls and cetaceans as deduced from the comparison of cytochrome b and 12S RNA mitochondrial sequences". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 14 (5): 550–559. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025792. PMID 9159933.
^ Spaulding, M.; O'Leary, MA.; Gatesy, J. (2009). "Relationships of Cetacea -Artiodactyla- Among Mammals: Increased Taxon Sampling Alters Interpretations of Key Fossils and Character Evolution". PLOS ONE. 4 (9): e7062. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.7062S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007062. PMC 2740860. PMID 19774069.
^ Cetacean Species and Taxonomy. iucn-csg.org
^ "The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Taxonomy Committee List of Species and subspecies" Archived 2015-01-06 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Samuel T Turvey; Robert L Pitman; Barbara L Taylor; Jay Barlow; Tomonari Akamatsu; Leigh A Barrett; Xiujiang Zhao; Randall R Reeves; Brent S Stewart; Kexiong Wang; Zhuo Wei; Xianfeng Zhang; L.T Pusser; Michael Richlen; John R Brandon; Ding Wang (2007). "First human-caused extinction of a cetacean species?". Biology Letters. 3 (5): 537–540. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0292. PMC 2391192. PMID 17686754.

[9] The use of Order Cetartiodactyla, instead of Cetacea with Suborders Odontoceti and Mysticeti, is favored by most evolutionary mammalogists working with molecular data^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] and is supported by the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group^[7] and by the Taxonomy Committee^[8] of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, the largest international association of marine mammal scientists in the world. See Cetartiodactyla and Marine mammal articles for further discussion.

[1] "The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Taxonomy Committee List of Species and Subspecies". Society for Marine Mammalogy. October 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

[2] "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved 19 January 2015.

[3] Agnarsson, I.; May-Collado, LJ. (2008). "The phylogeny of Cetartiodactyla: the importance of dense taxon sampling, missing data, and the remarkable promise of cytochrome b to provide reliable species-level phylogenies". Mol Phylogenet Evol. 48 (3): 964–985. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.046. PMID 18590827.

[4] Price, SA.; Bininda-Emonds, OR.; Gittleman, JL. (2005). "A complete phylogeny of the whales, dolphins and even-toed hoofed mammals – Cetartiodactyla". Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 80 (3): 445–473. doi:10.1017/s1464793105006743. PMID 16094808. S2CID 45056197.

[5] Montgelard, C.; Catzeflis, FM.; Douzery, E. (1997). "Phylogenetic relationships of artiodactyls and cetaceans as deduced from the comparison of cytochrome b and 12S RNA mitochondrial sequences". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 14 (5): 550–559. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025792. PMID 9159933.

[6] Spaulding, M.; O'Leary, MA.; Gatesy, J. (2009). "Relationships of Cetacea -Artiodactyla- Among Mammals: Increased Taxon Sampling Alters Interpretations of Key Fossils and Character Evolution". PLOS ONE. 4 (9): e7062. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.7062S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007062. PMC 2740860. PMID 19774069.

[7] Cetacean Species and Taxonomy. iucn-csg.org

[8] "The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Taxonomy Committee List of Species and subspecies" Archived 2015-01-06 at the Wayback Machine.

[10] Samuel T Turvey; Robert L Pitman; Barbara L Taylor; Jay Barlow; Tomonari Akamatsu; Leigh A Barrett; Xiujiang Zhao; Randall R Reeves; Brent S Stewart; Kexiong Wang; Zhuo Wei; Xianfeng Zhang; L.T Pusser; Michael Richlen; John R Brandon; Ding Wang (2007). "First human-caused extinction of a cetacean species?". Biology Letters. 3 (5): 537–540. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0292. PMC 2391192. PMID 17686754.

[1]

[2]

[a]

[9]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]