Whales how many types

Here we meet four families of large toothed whales. Some species of beaked whale have never been sighted alive. We only know of their existence from stranded whales. The sperm whale is the only member of the sperm whale family. Most of the space inside their head is dedicated to the oil-filled spermaceti organ which serves to enhance their echolocation skills. Their skin is wrinkled and they have a narrow lower jaw, lined with teeth.

They are found in deep water of all oceans and can dive to incredible depths of over m; they hunt giant squid. The pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale are much smaller than the sperm whale and belong to a separate family; they are more dolphin-sized. Like the sperm whale, these two have a narrow lower jaw and spermaceti organ.

They live in deep, warm water. The beaked whale family is the biggest of the large toothed whale families with 22 members - this is likely to increase as scientists learn more about these squid-eating, deep water, mysterious whales. For now, they are the least well-known of all whales; some species have never been seen alive and are known only from dead ones that wash ashore. For at least some of these whales living only in one part of the ocean, the lack of sightings might simply be because they are extremely rare.

Both lack dorsal fins, have bulbous heads and flexible necks. They are grey at birth and whiten as they grow older; adult belugas are a brilliant white and adult narwhals vary from almost white to mottled grey. Narwhals are famous for their unicorn-like tusk which is actually a very long tooth. By adopting a whale or dolphin, by making a donation, or by fundraising for WDC, you can help us save these amazing creatures.

Common minke whale. Whales — meet the different species. Baleen Whales. Baleen whales - quick facts Consist of four families: rorqual; right; grey; and pygmy right whale. Usually found alone or in in small groups Do not echolocate Did you know? Right whale and bowhead whale family The right whale and bowhead whale family is made up of three right whale species and the bowhead whale.

Apart from physical characteristics and a few behavioral traits, not much is known about this species. Their range extends from about 35 degrees north to 35 degrees south.

A large population of Pygmy killer whales inhabits in the Pacific between the coast of Japan and Hawaii. Scientific Name : Globicephala macrorhynchus Length: 5.

The short-finned pilot whale is one of the two whale species of the genus Globicephala the other being the long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas. As the name suggests, both species are distinguished by the length of their flippers. Short-finned pilot whales also have relatively smaller jaws and feature numerous white spots or scars all over the body.

Scientific Name : Orcinus orca Length: meters Weight: 6 tonnes. Killer whales, also known as orcas, are at the very top of the marine food chain. They are known to hunt other predatory species such as tiger sharks, great white sharks, and feisty leopard seals. They also prey on larger whales, including the sperm whale and grey whale. The killer whale is a highly social marine animal bound by complex social structures. Individuals live in a matriline society in which they spend their entire life with their mothers.

A false killer whale pod Image Courtesy: Juan Ortega. Scientific Name : Pseudorca crassidens Length: 6 meters Weight: 2, kg. The false killer whale got its name because of its skull, which is identical to that of killer whales. They are well known for their erratic behavior. There are reported instances of false killer whales approaching and offering fish to human divers. But on the other hand, they are also known to take fish off the nets and hooks forcefully.

False killer whales are highly sociable animals, often found traveling in large numbers. In a few cases, they are seen accompanying dolphins even from other species mostly bottlenose. However, false killer whales are highly aggressive against most dolphin species. Beluga whale in Atalanta Aquarium Wikimedia Commons. Scientific Name : Delphinapterus leucas Length: 5. The beluga whale is a large and distinctive whale species.

It is the only living species of the genus Delphinapterus. Beluga whales lack a dorsal fin and are entirely white the only marine species known with this attribute. In front of their head is a large but deformable biosonar, which allows them to produce high-pitched clicks to navigate and find prey.

Image Courtesy: Dr. Scientific Name: Monodon monoceros Length: 5. Narwhal is a medium-sized whale species found exclusively in the Arctic waters. It is the only surviving species in the genus Monodon and part of the family Monodontidae, together with the beluga whale. Narwhal males in rare cases female feature a long, spiral tusk, an extended tooth that can grow up to 10 ft in length.

Research has shown that the Narwhal tusk works as a sensory organ, with close to ten million nerve endings inside, that feeds them vital information about their immediate environment. Mother and a calf sperm whale. Scientific Name : Physeter macrocephalus Length: meters Weight: 41 tonnes.

The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale and one of the three extant species of the sperm whale superfamily Physeteroidea ; the other two are pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale.

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Marine Science Expert. Jennifer Kennedy, M. Updated January 08, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Kennedy, Jennifer. Facts About Mysticetes - the Baleen Whales. Differences Between Baleen and Toothed Whales. All whale species breathe air regularly and hence must come to the surface for the same. Whales comprise of 8 families that are fully adapted to living in water. Conservation of whales is an international debate that touches on the environment and ethics. Extensive hunting of whales has led to their diminishing triggering anti-whaling debate.

Whales have an important role in balancing the ecosystem and maintenance of a healthy marine setting. Rorquals are rated as the largest baleen whales hence the largest mammals. Blue whales which belong to this group can be as heavy as metric tonnes.

There are nine extant species including the Fin whale, Sei whale, Bryde's whale, Eden's whale, Blue whale, Common minke whale, Antarctic minke whale, Omura's whale, and Humpback whale. Rorquals are comparatively slender and streamlined with dorsal fins located about two-thirds distance to the back. Breeding takes place in tropical waters before they migrate to the polar feeding grounds.

The gestation period is 11 to 12 months. Rorquals obtain prey by a technique called lunge feeding which involves accelerating at a very high velocity then opening the mouth. This way, huge amounts of water is engulfed and filters prey through baleen plates. All members of Rorquals family have numerous longitudinal folds of skin that run from beneath the mouth to the navel forming furrows which make the mouth expand when feeding.

Family Balaenidae comprises of the three species of right whales North Atlantic right whale, North Pacific right whale, and Southern right whale and the bowhead whale. An adult Balaenidae has a length of 45 to 50 feet and can weigh up to 80 tonnes. The unique feature is arched, narrow upper jaw which makes the mammal have a deeply curved jawbone. The baleen plates are long making it possible to float near the water surface.

The adaptation makes the whales strain small crustaceans and krill from the water then scrape the baleen with the tongue.