Marine Mammals Outcome: To understand the difference between marine fish and marine mammals by exploring the sea otters, pinnipeds, sirenians, and cetaceans. Drill: Create a list of some marine mammals. Sea ottersManatees SealsWhales WalrusesDolphins DugongsPorpoises

Fish versus Marine MammalsMarine Mammals What are some of the differences between fish and aquatic mammals? Fish are – cold blooded, they have gills, most have scales, some have rough skin Aquatic Mammals – are warm blooded, they don’t have gills, some have blow holes, their skin is smooth

Classification Review! KingdomKingK PhylumPhillipP ClassCameC OrderOverO Suborder FamilyForF GenusGoodG SpeciesSoupS

Sea Otters Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Carnivora

Sea Otters Found along California coast Lack blubber – thick fur with air layer Lay upon backs and float while eating- use tools Fin like hind legs Constantly eat to stay warm Key stone species!!! Protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)

Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, & Walruses Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Carnivora Suborder Pinnipedia

Pinnepeds There are three families of pinnepeds: Family Phocidae – earless or true seals (phocids) This includes crabeater, leopard, and elephant seals Family Otariidae – the eared seals This includes furred seals and sea lions Family Odobenidae – walruses

Pinnipeds: Earless seals Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Pinnipedia Family: Phocidae

Earless Seals or Phocids Phocids: Have no external ear flaps. Swim with their hind flippers. Their hind flippers always face backward and are furred. Can be found in both marine and freshwater environments. Leopard Seal Leopard Seals in specific are the only Phocids to eat homeothermic prey

Phocids Crabeater Seal Harp seal Elephant Seal

Phocids Crabeater Seal

Pinnipeds: Eared Seals Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Pinnipedia Family: Otariidae

Eared Seals – Fur Seals, Sea Lions Have external ear flaps. Swim with their front flippers. Unlike earless seals, their hind flippers can turn forward, and they are better able to “walk” on their flippers. Found only in marine environments. Sea lions are renowned for their intelligence, their friendly/social behaviors, and their playfulness.

Eared Seals – Fur Seals, Sea Lions Fur Seal Sea LionSea Lion

Sea Lions

Furred Seal

Pinnipeds: Walrus Kingdom: Animalia Phylum Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Pinnipedia Family: Odobenidae

Walruses Morphologically, the walrus is more similar to the phocidae, true seals, except they have tusks (males). Behaviorally, they more closely resemble the Otariidae, eared seals. Walruses are very sociable animals and love interacting with others.

Walruses Dominant bulls run harems of females and will fight to keep their standing Once hunted for their ivory tusks, but now are protected. Only natives may kill them for food

Sirens – Dugongs and Manatees Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Sirenia Family: Dugongidae Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Sirenia Family: Trichechidae

Sirens - DugongsDugongs Dugongidae – Dugongs Live in coastal marine waters Feed on sea grasses Now protected from hunters, but not from natives

Sirens - ManateeManatee Trichechidae – Manatees Live in both the sea and inland rivers and lakes Feed on sea grasses

Dugong vs Manatee Dugong: Larger head Mouth on bottom Smaller flippers Notched tail Manatee: Smaller head Mouth frontward Larger flippers Rounded tail

Cetacea – Whales & their relatives The classification of whales are: Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Cetacea

Cetaceans Cetaceans include the carnivorous marine mammals: Whales Dolphins Porpoises

Cetacean Evolution (p285) Nose holes on front of face migrate to create blowhole Four limbs in developmental stage (image) Inner ear blocked with wax Countercurrent blood flow in flippers Blubber layer to retain heat Few hairs on head

Cetacea: Whales There are two broad categories of whales: Baleen Whale Suborder Mysticeti Toothed Whale Suborder Odontoceti

Mysticeti: Baleen Whales Baleen Whales practice filter feeding and the tools for filter feeding are their baleen plates Consume fish, krill, and plankton Ventral groove/pleats allow them to expand their throat

Odontoceti: Toothed Whales Almost 90% of cetaceans are toothed whales They are generally smaller than baleen whales Sperm Whales, Beluga Whales, Narwhal, Orcas, Dolphins, and Porpoises Sperm Whale: Teeth only on bottom, fit into upper grooves Orca/Dolphin/Porpoise: teeth, fused into jaw Beluga Whale: Few teeth, sometimes only two per jaw Narwhal: Two teeth, left tooth, grows into tusk in front

Toothed Whales: Sperm Whales Third largest behind Blue and Fin whales Bottom teeth fit into grooves in the top of the mouth Feed on squid, fish, and sometimes attack whalers on small boat Portrayed in the book Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Toothed Whales: NarwhalsNarwhals Related to the Beluga whales Lives in the Arctic Seas Only have two upper incisors, which in males turns into the large front tusk Females teeth are undeveloped in their skull Tusks are thought to be for status in a pod, but it has 10 mil nerve connections (salinity/temp)

Toothed Whales: Beluga WhaleBeluga Whale Live in northern polar seas and on occasion go into the Arctic Rivers Stay in small family group and eat crabs, cuttlefish, and flounder They are distinct due to their white color skin, which they “shed” in the 2 week warm period

Toothed Whales: OrcaOrca Largest of the dolphin family, Delphinidae Size is close to that of a school bus Only cetaceans to feed on homeothermic prey Common to the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans

Dolphin versus Porpoise Dolphins and porpoises appear similar, but they have many differences. Dolphins Porpoises