INTERACTIVE KEY ON WHALES AND DOLPHINS

Key 5a. Confirmatory characters

Characters: 21 in data, 14 included, 8 in key.
Items: 11 in data, 11 included, 14 in key.
Parameters: Rbase = 1.40 Abase = 2.00 Reuse = 1.01 Varywt = .80
Characters included: 1–2 6–14 16 20–21
Character reliabilities: 1–21,5.0

1(0).

Colour above black-blue ... Balaena glacialis Colour above white... Megaptera novaeangliae Colour above black... 2 Colour above pale-grey... Delphinus delphis Colour above grey... 5 Colour above dark-grey... 6 Colour above dark blue-grey... Stenella coeruleoalba

2(1).

Echolocation present ... 3 Echolocation unknown... 4

3(2).

Snout rounded; Dorsal fin absent; Migration unknown; Attack humans unknown ... Lissodelphis peronii Snout unknown; Dorsal fin present; Migration yes; Attack humans never... Orcinus orca

4(2).

Snout rounded ... Cephalorhynchus heavisidii, Lagenorhynchus obscurus Snout unknown... Delphinus delphis

5(1).

Colour below off-white speckled with grey spots; Snout moderate length; Body robust ... Tursiops truncatus Colour below grey; Snout unknown; Body very large and prune-like... Physeter macrocephalus

6(1).

Snout moderate length ... Tursiops truncatus Snout rounded... Lagenorhynchus obscurus Snout unknown... Sousa plumbea