Monodon monoceros

Linnaeus, 1758

Narwhal

Taxonomy

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

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Linnaeus, C. 1758-01-01. Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 823 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25033886

Original name as described

Monodon monoceros

Other common names

Horned Whale · Sea Unicorn · Unicorn Whale

Type material

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Type locality

"Habitat in Oceano Septentrionali Americæ, Europæ" (= northern seas of Europe and America).

Biogeographic realm

Marine

Country distribution

Canada · Greenland · Russia · Norway · Germany? · Iceland? · Netherlands? · United Kingdom?

Subregion distribution

USA(AK?)

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006445

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.

Monodon monoceros

Linnaeus, 1758

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

monoceros

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

75

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25033886

Authority publication

Stockholm

Name usages

  1. Erxleben (1777:626, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15873423) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36060)
  2. Lesson (1827:420, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207887) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  3. Lesson (1842:201) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  4. Blyth (1863:90, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534771) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37155)
  5. True (1885:590, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306384) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35039)
  6. Ward (1910:517, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15016160) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39628)
  7. Corbet & Hill (1980:111) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  8. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:298) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  9. Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)
  10. Mittermeier & Wilson (2014:406) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67175)
  11. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #13704) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  12. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #13704) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  13. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006445) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  14. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13704/50367651) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Monodon Narhwal

Blumenbach, 1779

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

narhwal

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

142

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44318979

Authority publication

Göttingen

Monodon Narwhal

Blumenbach, 1788

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

narwhal

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

144

Authority publication

book

Narwalus vulgaris

(de Lacépède, 1804)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

vulgaris

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

xxxvii, 142

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51130821 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51130984

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

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

Ceratodon Monodon

(Pallas, 1811)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

monodon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

295

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29114228

Authority publication

Saint Petersburg

Name usages

  1. Fischer (1814:xxii, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130083) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)
  2. Mead & Brownell (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9684)

Monodon alba

S.D.W., 1836

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

albus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

lost (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

71

Authority publication

The Analyst

Ceratodon microcephalus

(G. Fischer, 1814)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

microcephalus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

xxii

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130083

Authority publication

Moscow

Name usages

Fischer (1814:xxii, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130083) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)

Ceratodon monocerus

(Billberg, 1827)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

monocerus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

36

Authority publication

Stockholm

Name usages

Billberg (1827:36) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67228)

Monodon Andersonianus

Lesson, 1827

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

andersonianus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

421

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207888

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Lesson (1827:421, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207888) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)

Ceratodontis ceratodon

(Brisson, 1762)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

ceratodon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

inconsistently_binominal

Authority page

217, 231

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28278730 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28278744

Authority publication

Leiden

Monodon Narhval

Borowski, 1781

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

narhval

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

8

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28342441

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

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

Narwalus Andersonianus

(de Lacépède, 1804)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

andersonianus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

xxxviii, 163

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51130820 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51131007

Authority publication

Paris

Narwalus microcephalus

(de Lacépède, 1804)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

microcephalus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

xxxviii, 159

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51130820 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51131003

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

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

Monodon microcephalus

Fleming, 1811

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

microcephalus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

146

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45848652

Authority publication

Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society

Name usages

Lesson (1827:421, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207888) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)

Ceratodon Andersonianus

(G. Fischer, 1814)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

andersonianus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

xxii, 665

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130083 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130752

Authority publication

Moscow

Name usages

Fischer (1814:xxii, 665, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130083, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130752) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)

Tachyniches megacephalus

(Brookes, 1828)

Family

Monodontidae

Root name

megacephalus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_nudum

Authority page

40

Authority publication

London

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