WoRMS name details
Nomenclatureoriginal description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 page(s): 76 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record
van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>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,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Other
From editor or global species database
Synonymy Most workers now use P. macrocephalus for the sperm whale [details]
Taxonomy Some workers prefer use of this name for the sperm whale, rather than P. macrocephalus, also described by Linnaeus (1758), based on their interpretation of Linnaeus' diagnoses of the two nominal species and belief that P. macrocephalus refers to the pilot whale Globicephala melas. However, most workers now consider both names to refer to the sperm whale, with P. macrocephalus having line priority on the page in Linnaeus' work. [details]Unreviewed
Habitat offshore [details]
Predators None [details]
From editor or global species database
Unreviewed
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