Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Right whale Fig. 12-15 Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Includes largest animal ever on earth Blue whale – To 33.5 m long, 100+ tons Baleen plates attached to upper jaws Made of keratin (same protein as hair, fingernails) Squeeze water through baleen and lick off retained food (usually organisms) Primarily feed on zooplankton Three families: Balaenidae (right and bowhead whales) Balaenopteridae (rorquals) Eschrichtidae (gray whale)

Fig. 12-14 Blue

Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Right whale Fig. 12-15 Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Includes largest animal ever on earth Blue whale – To 33.5 m long, 100+ tons Baleen plates attached to upper jaws Made of keratin (same protein as hair, fingernails) Squeeze water through baleen and lick off retained food (usually organisms) Primarily feed on zooplankton Three families: Balaenidae (right and bowhead whales) Balaenopteridae (rorquals) Eschrichtidae (gray whale)

Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Balaenidae – 5 species Bowhead, N Atlantic, N Pacific, Southern, Pygmy Right No: dorsal fin, throat grooves Feed continuously while swimming Long, fine baleen Balaenopteridae – 9 species Bryde’s, Blue, Eden’s, Fin, Humpback, Antarctic Minke, Common Minke, Omura’s, Sei Feed by gulping schools of fish or krill Ventral grooves expand during “gulp” Large blue whales may enclose up to 17,500 gallons (70 tons) of water in one gulp Blue whales eat 3,000-5,000 kg of food each day! Short baleen, small dorsal fin, ventral grooves Eschrichtidae – 1 species Gray Feed by scooping sediments & organisms from sea floor Short coarse baleen, no dorsal fin, 2-5 ventral grooves Humpback Right Blue Gray

North Atlantic Right Whale

Fig. 12-14 Southern Right

Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Balaenidae – 5 species Bowhead, N Atlantic, N Pacific, Southern, Pygmy Right No dorsal fin, throat grooves Feed continuously while swimming Long, fine baleen, no dorsal fin, no ventral grooves Balaenopteridae – 9 species Bryde’s, Blue, Eden’s, Fin, Humpback, Antarctic Minke, Common Minke, Omura’s, Sei Feed by gulping schools of fish or krill Ventral grooves expand during “gulp” Large blue whales may enclose up to 17,500 gallons (70 tons) of water in one gulp Blue whales eat 3,000-5,000 kg of food each day! Short baleen, small dorsal fin, ventral grooves Eschrichtidae – 1 species Gray Feed by scooping sediments & organisms from sea floor Short coarse baleen, no dorsal fin, 2-5 ventral grooves Humpback Right Blue Gray

Fig. 12-14 Humpback

Fig. 12-16

Marine Mammals Cetacea Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) – 15 species Balaenidae – 5 species Bowhead, N Atlantic, N Pacific, Southern, Pygmy Right No dorsal fin, throat grooves Feed continuously while swimming Long, fine baleen, no dorsal fin, no ventral grooves Balaenopteridae – 9 species Bryde’s, Blue, Eden’s, Fin, Humpback, Antarctic Minke, Common Minke, Omura’s, Sei Feed by gulping schools of fish or krill Ventral grooves expand during “gulp” Large blue whales may enclose up to 17,500 gallons (70 tons) of water in one gulp Blue whales eat 3,000-5,000 kg of food each day! Short baleen, small dorsal fin, ventral grooves Eschrichtidae – 1 species Gray Feed by scooping sediments & organisms from sea floor Short coarse baleen, no dorsal fin, 2-5 ventral grooves Humpback Right Blue Gray

Fig. 12-19

Marine Mammals Cetacea Odontoceti (Toothed Whales) – 74 species Sperm whales – 3 species Sperm, Dwarf, Pygmy Bulbous head contains spermaceti (waxy substance) that may function in buoyancy and sound generation Sperm whales can dive to 3000 m and stay under water for up to two hours! Feed on fishes and squids, esp. giant squids Produce ambergris, undigested material in stomach Toothed whales – 28 species Beaked, Beluga, False Killer, Narwhal, Orca, Pilot Most common in cold water Dolphins & Porpoises – 43 species Distinctive beak Travel in pods

Fig. 12-20 Ambergris

Marine Mammals Cetacea Odontoceti (Toothed Whales) – 74 species Sperm whales – 3 species Sperm, Dwarf, Pygmy Bulbous head contains spermaceti (waxy substance) that may function in buoyancy and sound generation Sperm whales can dive to 3000 m and stay under water for up to two hours! Feed on fishes and squids, esp. giant squids Produce ambergris, undigested material in stomach Toothed whales – 28 species Beaked, Beluga, False Killer, Narwhal, Orca, Pilot Most common in cold water Dolphins & Porpoises – 43 species Distinctive beak Travel in pods

Beluga Beaked Pilot Narwhal False Killer

Marine Mammals Cetacea Odontoceti (Toothed Whales) – 74 species Sperm whales – 3 species Sperm, Dwarf, Pygmy Bulbous head contains spermaceti (waxy substance) that may function in buoyancy and sound generation Sperm whales can dive to 3000 m and stay under water for up to two hours! Feed on fishes and squids, esp. giant squids Produce ambergris, undigested material in stomach Toothed whales – 28 species Beaked, Beluga, False Killer, Narwhal, Orca, Pilot Most common in cold water Dolphins & Porpoises – 43 species Distinctive beak Travel in pods

Dall’s Porpoise Bottlenose Dolphin Pacific White-Sided Dolphin Harbor Porpoise Spectacled Porpoise Dusky Dolphin

Marine Mammals Cetacea Echolocation Common in dolphins, porpoises, toothed whales May occur in some baleen whales and pinnipeds Sounds generally consist of sharp clicks Low-frequency clicks can travel long distances Functions Detect objects (orientation clicks) Characterize objects (discrimination clicks) Sonic hunting Mechanism Air forced through air sacs and focused through melon Sperm whales may use spermaceti organ Sound received through lower jaw

Fig. 12-24 Dolphins Dolphins Whales Whales