| Oceanitinae | |
|---|---|
| Wilson's Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Hydrobatidae |
| Subfamily: | Oceanitinae |
| Genera | |
Oceanitinae is one of two subfamilies of storm-petrels. Because the distribution of the subfamily is predominantly in the southern hemisphere they are sometimes known as the southern storm-petrels. The subfamily contains five genera in which there are eight species. They were the second group of storm-petrels to break off from the ancestral petrel stock, and for this reason some authors have suggested that they should constitute a separate family from the Hydrobatinae storm-petrels.[1]