Cephalorhynchus is a genus of dolphin, family Delphinidae, comprising six living species following the 2025 transfer of the hourglass dolphin and Peale's dolphin from the genus Lagenorhynchus, alongside the previously recognized Commerson's, Chilean, Heaviside's and Hector's dolphins. Members are small, generally playful, blunt-nosed dolphins found in distinct geographic locations across the Southern Hemisphere, and a 1971 study found Cephalorhynchus species are the only dolphins known not to whistle. Subspecies are recognized within both Commerson's dolphin and Hector's dolphin.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Member Count Band Era First Appeared Classification
Living or Extinct Connections
Parent Taxon Of
Source Chilean dolphin (Wikipedia)
Source Commerson's dolphin (Wikidata)
Source Heaviside's dolphin (Wikipedia)
Source Hector's dolphin (Wikidata)
Source Peale's dolphin (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ583001, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Cephalorhynchus
Taxonomic rank (Wikipedia confirms the entity; rank from slug/structure-wave classification)View the Source 3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Cephalorhynchus
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCountQuote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 4
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Cephalorhynchus
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Cephalorhynchus" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 0.0117 ... "early_interval": "Holocene"
Wikidata: Cephalorhynchus
Wikidata Q583001, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Commerson's dolphin (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Commerson's dolphin, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q583001 (Cephalorhynchus)View the Source Hector's dolphin (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Hector's dolphin, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q583001 (Cephalorhynchus)View the Source Chilean dolphin (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Chilean dolphin, LeadQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Chilean dolphin, Lead
is one of six dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus
Peale's dolphin (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Peale's dolphin, TaxonomyQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Peale's dolphin, Taxonomy
Peale's dolphin was reclassified as Cephalorhynchus australis in 2025
Heaviside's dolphin (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Heaviside's dolphin, LeadQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Heaviside's dolphin, Lead
is one of six dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus
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