Delphinapterus leucas

(Pallas, 1776)

Beluga

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Artiodactyla
Suborder : Whippomorpha
Infraorder : Cetacea
Parvorder : Odontoceti
Superfamily : Delphinoidea
Family : Monodontidae
Genus : Delphinapterus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Pallas, P.S. 1776. Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs. Volume 3. Kayserlichen Academie der Wissenschaften, Saint Petersburg, 760pp.

Authority publication link

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k973350/f107.item

Original name as described

Delphinus leucas

Other common names

Sea Canary · White Whale

Type material

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Type locality

"die im Obischen Meerbusen" (= mouth of Ob River), North-eastern Siberia, Russia.

Biogeographic realm

Marine

Country distribution

Canada · Greenland · Russia · Norway · Belgium? · Denmark? · France? · Germany? · Iceland? · Ireland? · Japan? · Netherlands? · Sweden? · United Kingdom? · United States?

Subregion distribution

USA(AK,WA?)

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006444

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Known distribution is shown in green and predicted distribution is in yellow. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Beluga concreta

(Cope, 1865)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

concretus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ANSP 2598

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

278

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1682375

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Beluga angustata

(Cope, 1866)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

angustatus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ANSP 3010

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

293

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26375013

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Beluga rhinodon

(Cope, 1865)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

rhinodon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ANSP 3011

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

278

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1682375

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Beluga Catodon

(J. E. Gray, 1847)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

catodon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Type

BMNH (number not known)

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

29

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6957460

Authority publication

London

Name usages

  1. Blyth (1863:90, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534771) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37155)
  2. Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)

Delphinus (Delphinapterus?) Kingii

(J. E. Gray, 1827)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

kingii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:368a

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

375

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15530903

Authority publication

Philosophical Magazine

Name usages

Lesson (1842:199) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Delphinus leucas

(Pallas, 1776)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

leucas

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

85 [footnote]

Authority page URI

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k973350/f107.item

Authority publication

Saint Petersburg

Name usages

  1. Illiger (1815:64, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080920) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38688)
  2. Lesson (1842:200) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Delphinapterus beluga

de Lacépède, 1804

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

beluga

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

xli, 243

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51130817 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51131093

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)

Beluga borealis

(Lesson, 1828)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

borealis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

440, 192

Authority publication

Paris

Beluga declivis

(Cope, 1865)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

declivis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MCZ:Mamm:BOM-1195

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Mamm:BOM-1195

Authority page

278

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1682375

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Delphinus canadensis

(de Blainville in A. G. Desmarest, 1817)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

canadensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

untraced (number not known)

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

163

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18037856

Authority publication

Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle

Name usages

Lesson (1827:411, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207878) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)

Delphinapterus dorofeevi

Klumov & Barabash, 1935

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

dorofeevi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ZMMU S-5504

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

24

Authority publication

Biulleten' rybnogo Khoziaistvo S.S.S.R.

Name usages

Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)

Delphinapterus Leucas

G. Fischer, 1814

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

leucas

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

xxiii

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130084

Authority publication

Moscow

Name usages

  1. Fischer (1814:xxiii, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130084) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)
  2. Lesson (1827:416, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207883) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  3. Corbet & Hill (1980:111) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  4. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:298) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  5. Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)
  6. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:548) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  7. Mittermeier & Wilson (2014:407) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67175)
  8. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #6335) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  9. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #6335) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  10. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006444) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  11. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6335/50352346) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Delphinapterus catodon

F. W. True, 1885

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

catodon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

590

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306384

Authority publication

Proceedings of the United States National Museum

Name usages

True (1885:590, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306384) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35039)

Cetus albicans

(Brisson, 1762)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

inconsistently_binominal

Authority page

227

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28278740

Authority publication

Leiden

Physeter Katodon

(P. L. S. Müller, 1773)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

katodon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

497

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50720014

Authority publication

Nuremberg

Balaena albicans

(O. F. Müller, 1776)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

7

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41499648

Authority publication

Copenhagen

Delphinus albicans

(Fabricius, 1780)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

50

Authority publication

Copenhagen

Physeter macrocephalus albicans

(Kerr, 1792)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

361

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38664391

Authority publication

Edinburgh

Delphinus Phocaena albus

(Kerr, 1792)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

363

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38664393

Authority publication

Edinburgh

Catodon albicans

(de Lacépède, 1804)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

xxxix, 218

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51130819 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51131068

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)

Catodon albicans

(G. Fischer, 1814)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

xxiii, 672

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130084 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130759

Authority publication

Moscow

Name usages

Fischer (1814:xxiii, 672, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130084, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130759) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)

Delphinus albians

(Nilsson, 1820)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albians

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

403

Authority publication

Lund

Delphinus leucaster

(J. E. Gray, 1821)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

leucaster

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

310

Authority publication

London Medical Repository

delphinus canadensis

(A. G. Desmarest, 1822)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

canadensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

subsequent_usage

Authority page

516

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39521960

Authority publication

Paris

Catodon Sibbaldi

(Fleming, 1828)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

sibbaldi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

29

Authority publication

Edinburgh

Catodon candicans

(Lesson, 1828)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

candicans

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

192 (footnote)

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/61811636

Authority publication

Paris

Beluga glacialis

(Lesson, 1828)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

glacialis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

pl. 3 (fig. 2)

Authority publication

Paris

Catodon sibbaldia

(S.D.W., 1836)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

sibbaldia

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

unjustified_emendation

Authority page

71

Authority publication

The Analyst

Delphinapterus Catadon

Goode, 1884

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

catadon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

18

Authority publication

book

Delphinapterus kingi

Ogilby, 1893

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

kingi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

73

Authority publication

Sydney

Delphinapterus freimani

Klumov, 1935

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

freimani

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

26-28

Authority publication

Biulleten' rybnogo Khoziaistvo S.S.S.R.

Delphinapterus leucas maris-albi

Ostroumov, 1935

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

marisalbi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

11

Authority publication

book

Name usages

Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)

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