Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrata > Superclass Gnathostomata > Superclass Tetrapoda > Class Mammalia > Subclass Theria > Order Cetartiodactyla > Suborder Cetancodonta > Infraorder Cetacea > Superfamily Odontoceti > Family Monodontidae > Genus Delphinapterus

Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

DelphinapterusLacépède, 1804accepted genus name

Vernaculars (+) (-)

 Aleutian: bechurinka
 Auns: pechuga
 Bokmål (Norwegian): hvithval sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Chukchi (Louravetlany): puuliak
 Czech: běluha mořská
 Danish: hvidfisk; hvidhval sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Dutch: beloega; witte dolfijn; witvis
 English: beluga; buluga; sea canary; white whale sources: North-West Atlantic Ocean species (NWARMS)
 English-United States: White Whale sources: Charles Hussey
 Even-Kamchatka: zatcha
 French: baleine blanche; bélouga; dauphin blanc; delphinaptère blanc; marsouin blanc; moine de mer
 German: Weissfisch; Weisswal
 Greek: Μπελούγκα sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Greenlandic: kulelulak; qaqortoq
 Icelandic: huitingar; mjaldur
 Inuktitut: qilalgaq
 Inupiaq: sisuaq (Northern Alaska); situaq (Bering Strait)
 Italian: balena bianca; beluga sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Japanese: shiro iruka
 Koryak: gik; iina
 Lithuanian: baltasis delfinas sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Nentsi (Nenets): fiborska
 Norwegian: hvidfisk; hvitfisk; hvithval
 Norwegian Bokmål: hvithval sources: Reise Prov. Russ. Reichs, 3(1):85 [footnote]
 Norwegian Nynorsk: kvitkval sources: Reise Prov. Russ. Reichs, 3(1):85 [footnote]
 Nynorsk (Norwegian): kvitkval sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Ostyak: visingkh-potlaengkh; vising-totleng
 Polish: białucha sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Russian: belukha; morkskaia belukha; белуха sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Spanish, Castillian: ballena blanca; beluga
 Swedish: hrafu-reydur; hvitagtik delphin; hvitfisk; vitval sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Turkish: ak balina; beluga; beluga balinası; beyaz balina sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Ukrainian: Білуха sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Welsh: morfil gwyn sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points
 Yupik: cetuaq; keelaluga; pulzaq

Literature

original description

Pallas, P. S. 1771-76. Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des russischen Reiches. St. Petersburg. 3 vols. [vol. 1, 1771:12 unnumb. + 1-504, pls. A-L; vol. 2, 1773 (pt 1):4 unnumb. + 1-368, (pt 2):368-744, pls. A-Z; vol. 3, 1776 (pt 1) 20 unnumb. + 1-454, (pt 2) 455-760 index, + Pls. A-Z, AA-NN].

basis of record

van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 375-376

additional source

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Animal Diversity Web.

additional source

Jefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam.

additional source

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008.

additional source

Perrin, W. F., B. Würsig and J. G. M. Thewissen. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press, Amsterdam.

additional source

Stewart, B. E. and R. E. A. Stewart. (1989). Delphinapterus leucas. Mammalian Species 336:1--8.

additional source

Carwardine, M., E. Hoyt, R. E. Fordyce and P. Gill. 1998. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. Time-Life Books. Nature Company Guides, USA. 288 p.

additional source

Mead, J. G. and R. L. Brownell, Jr. (2005). Cetacea. Pages 723--743 in Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.

additional source

ITIS database

additional source

Rice, D. W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. Society for Marine Mammalogy Special Publication 4.

additional source

Hershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of living whales. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 246:1--259.

additional source

Leatherwood, S., R. R. Reeves, W. F. Perrin and W. E. Evans. (1982). Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the eastern North Pacific and adjacent Arctic waters. A guide to their identification. NOAA Technical Report NMFS Circular 444. 245pp.

Genbank

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External Links

Link To GBIF

Citation

Perrin, W. (2011). Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776). In: Perrin, W.F. World Cetacea Database. In: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2012) European Register of Marine Species, accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:137115

Image

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Occurrence

 Present  Absent  Doubtful  Native  Introduced  Naturalised  Invasive  Managed  No data

Environment


marine, brackish, fresh

Importance

EU Habitat Directive:
annex IV EU Habitat Directive Annex IV: Species of community interest in need of strict protection.
IUCN:
Red List status NT 2008This species is near threatened and is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future according to the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

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GUID

urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:137115

Last modified

2009-03-11 by William Perrin

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