Species

Delphinus delphis

Common Dolphin

Found in many parts of the oceans around the world, the common dolphin is a colorful species that often travel in pods of thousands of individuals. There has not been a lot of research around this species, partly because of the difficulty in tracking an individual dolphin among a thousand others.

Image • CC BY-SA 4.0 Delphinidae.org

Delphinus delphis

Short Beaked Common Dolphini

Short Beaked Common Dolphins inhabit both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with populations reaching throughout the Mediterranean sea as well.

There are two subspecies: Delphinus delphis delphis and Delphinus delphis ponticus.

Photo • Public Domain

Delphinus capensis

Long Beaked Common Dolphin

Found in the southern pacific and indian oceans, as well as parts of the pacific ocearn, the Long Beacked Common Dolphin also has two identified subspecies: Delphinus capensis capensis and Delphinus capensis tropicalis.

Cephalorhynchus

Piebald Dolphins

Small, usually black and white dolphins. Each currently has a small population and are near threatened or endangered.

Photo by opencage.info – CC Attribution Share Alike

Cephalorhynchus commersonii

Commerson’s Dolphin

Found off the cost of the southern tip of South America, the Commerson’s dolphin is a small white dolphin with black accents.

Cephalorhynchus eutropia

Chilean Dolphin

Found only on the coast of Chile, the Chilean dolphin has a “near threatened” status with some reports indicating only about 5,000 individuals remain.

Photo • Jutta Luft – CC Attribution Share Alike

Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Heaviside’s Dolphin

This small dolphin with orca colors can be found on the western coastline of southern Africa.

Photo •Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith – CC Attribution

Cephalorhynchus hectori

Hector’s Dolphin

This is a small endangered dolphin found around New Zealand.

Feresa

Pygmy Killer Whales

There is only one species in this genus, the Feresa attenuata.

Image • CC BY-SA 4.0 Delphinidae.org

Feresa attenuata

Pygmy Killer Whale

This dolphin features a dark color with a short snout. It is rarely seen, but has been spotted in a huge range spanning the atlantic, pacific and indian oceans.

Globicephala

Pilot Whales

This large dolphin has not been the target of much scientific study, so there is a lot we don’t know about it.

Photo •Tony Hisgett – CC Attribution

Globicephala macrorhynchus

Short-finned Pilot Whale

Inhabiting both coastal waters and the deep ocean, in the atlantic, pacific and indian oceans, this dolphin is very similar to it’s relative the long-finned pilot whale.

Photo •Curimedia Photography – CC Attribution

Globicephala melas

Long-finned Pilot Whale

Named for it’s long pectoral fins, this dolphin can be found in the colder waters of the north atlantic and the northern parts of the antarctic.

Grampus

Grampus

This deep water genus is little studied. So much in fact that the “common” name is simply the scientific name.

Photo – Amila Tennakoon – CC Attribution

Grampus griseus

Risso’s Dolphin

Discovered by Antoine Risso, this dolphin accumulates scars throughout it’s life that eventually nearly cover it’s entire body.

Lagenodelphis

Borneau dolphins

When a skull was discovered on a beach in Sarawak, Borneo, an island in southeast Asia, it was brought to the British museum, where it was left unstudied until Francis Fraser examined it, after whom the only species of this genus is named.

Lagenodelphis hosei

Fraser’s Dolphin

This small stocky dolphin is found in the warm waters of the Atlantic, pacific and Indian oceans.

Lagenorhynchus

White Sided Dolphins / White Beaked Dolphins

It’s scientific name means “bottle beak”. 

Photo • CC Share-Alike – Wikipedia

Lagenorhynchus acutus

Atlantic White-sided Dolphin

This dolphin lives in the far north atlantic.

Lagenorhynchus albirostris

White-beaked Dolphin

This dolphin lives in the far north atlantic.

Photo • FDrummondH – CC Share-Alike

Lagenorhynchus australis

Peale’s Dolphin

This dolphin lives along the coasts of the southern tip of South America.

Photo • CC Share-Alike – Wikipedia

Lagenorhynchus cruciger

Hourglass Dolphin

This cute, small dolphin can be found in the antarctic.

Photo – Ruth Hartnup – CC Attribution

Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Pacific White-sided Dolphin

This dolphin lives in the far north pacific.

Photo • Public Domain

Lagenorhynchus obscurus

Dusky Dolphin

This smaller dolphin lives along the coasts of the cooler waters of the southern hemisphere.

Lissodelphis

Right-Whale Dolphins

These small dolphins have no dorsal fin. 

Photo – NOAA Photo Library – CC Attribution

Lissodelphis borealis

Northern Right-Whale Dolphin

The Northern Right Whale Dolphin is found only in the northern Pacific ocean. This could be why it was discovered 44 years after the Southern Right Whale Dolphin.

Photo –  Public Domain

Lissodelphis peronii

Southern Right-Whale Dolphin

Noticeable by their bright white underside, these graceful dolphins inhabit the colder waters of the antarctic ocean.

Orcaella

Snubfin Dolphins

Most closely related to the Orca, these dolphins look a lot like Beluga whales.

Photo – Dan Koehl  – CC Attribution

Orcaella brevirostris

Irrawaddy Dolphin

This unique Beluga-like dolphin can be found along the coasts and in the rivers of southeast Asia. It features a u shaped blow hole that is not centered on it’s back, but is just to the left, and opens toward the front.

Orcaella heinsohni

Australian Snubfin Dolphin

Differentiated by a subdued tri-color skin among other minor differences, this dolphin makes the shores of Australia it’s home.

Orcinus

Killer Whales

Orcinus is the genus of the famous Orca. Although there is variation within the species, only a single species is known in Orcinus.

Photo –  Pixabay

Orcinus orca

Orca / Killer Whale

Spanning every ocean in the world, the orca is known in nearly every part of the world. It is difficult to track an orca pod due to the large distances and the lack of fixed migration patterns that they take, so little is known about just how far they can travel.

Peponocephala

Melon-Headed Whales

Named for it’s melon-shaped head, only one species is known to exist in this genus.

Photo • NOAA Photo Library   – CC Attribution

Peponocephala electra

Melon-Headed Whale

Usually found in tropical waters beyond the continental shelf, this species is known to be a very fast swimmer.

Pseudorca

False Killer Whales

False Killer Whales are often mistaken for other species due to their wide range.

Photo • NOAA Photo Library   – CC Attribution

Pseudorca crassidens

False Killer Whale

Despite is huge range, encompassing the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, the False Killer Whale is Near Threatened on the Red List.

Sotalia

Tucuxi

These dolphins are found along the coasts of north-eastern South America, and in the Amazon river.

Photo – Archilider [CC BY-SA 4.0]

Sotalia fluviatilis

Tucuxi / Gray Dolphin

Originally considered the only species of Sotalia, the Gray Dolphin is likely so called because despite it’s pinkish belly, it is very gray compared with the Amazon River Dolphin (which is technically outside of the Delphinidae family).

Photo • Jan Willem Broekema – CC BY-SA 2.0

Sotalia guianensis

Guiana Dolphin / Estuarine Dolphin

Thought to inhabit the same range as the Tucuxi, it seems not to exhibit the pink color on it’s belly, and more closely resembles the bottlenose dolphin.

Sousa

Humpbacked Dolphins

These coastal dolphins get their name from a hump shape at the front of their dorsal fin. Very little information is currently published about theses species.

Sousa chinensis

Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin

When found near the coasts of China, this species is referred to as the Chinese White Dolphin. It’s range extends throughout Indonesia and northern Australia.

Sousa plumbea

Indian Humpback Dolphin

Appearing more like a Bottlenose Dolphin except for the appearance of their dorsal fin hump, the Indian Humpback Dolphin inhabits the coastal waters of India and eastern Africa.

Sousa teuszii

Atlantic Humpback Dolphin

Even less seems to be known about this critically endangered species than it’s relatives within Sousa. It is found along parts of the western coast of Africa.

Sousa sahulensis

Australian Humpback Dolphin

Compared to it’s relatives, the Australian Humpback Dolphin features less of a dorsal hump, and has a shorter dorsal fin. It also has a line along it’s side where it’s darker back is separated from it’s lighter belly.

Stenella

Spotted, Spinners, and Striped Dolphins

Likely the most popular species, behind only the Bottlenose and the Orca.

Photo • Public Domain

Stenella clymene

Short-Snouted Spinner Dolphin

This small dolphin features distinct facial markings. It is found only in the tropics of the Atlantic ocean.

Photo • Alexia Pihier – CC BY-SA 4.0

Stenella longirostris

Long-Snouted Spinner Dolphin

These spinners are found in warm waters around the world. 

Photo • Amila Tennakoon – CC BY-SA 2.0

Stenella frontalis

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Spotted dolphins are born without spots, but over time, more and more spots appear. As such, the number of spots can indicate the age of the individual.

Photo –  NOAA [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Stenella attenuata

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

With at least two subspecies (attenuata and graffmani), the Pantropical Spotted Dolphin’s range covers the tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Photo • Amila Tennakoon – CC BY-SA 2.0

Stenella coeruleoalba

Striped Dolphin

Named for a dominant stripe in color along it’s side, the Striped Dolphin has an incredibly large distribution, from Greenland to New Zealand, it can be found nearly anywhere with the exception of the west coast of South America.

Steno

Rough-Toothed Dolphins

This unique genus has only one species.

Steno bredanensis 

Rough-Toothed Dolphin

With an incredibly large distribution, this dolphin has been reported in virtually every ocean of the world. Despite this, it is thought to have a small total population, and little is known about it’s population.

Tursiops

Bottlenose Dolphins

The adored Bottlenose Dolphin is an icon of the dolphin world.

Photo • Mike Prince – CC BY-SA 2.0

Tursiops aduncus

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

This dolphin differs from truncatus in that it is smaller, and features spots on it’s underside.

Photo –  Brandon Trentler [CC BY-SA 2.0]

Tursiops truncatus

Bottlenose Dolphin

With several sub-species, the Bottlenose Dolphin has one of the largest distributions of any species within Delphinidae. This is also the most common species featured in dolphinariums.

Photo • Charlton-Robb K – CC BY 2.5

Tursiops australis

Burrunan Dolphin

Recognized in 2011, this bottlenose dolphin is in-between aduncus and truncatus in size. Only two stocks have been identified, both on the coasts of Australia.