Cetaceans Flashcards
What animals do cetaceans include?
Whales, dolphins Porpoises
What is the difference between whales and dolphins?
cetaceans longer than about nine feet considered whales, and those less than nine feet long considered to be dolphins and porpoises.
What are the different groups of whale?
Right whale, Pygmy Right whale, Rorquals, Gray whale, Beaked whales, Sperm whales
What family do Right Whales belong to?
Balaenidae family
What waters do Right Whales reside?
Cool temperate / polar waters
What physical characteristics do Right Whales have?
They lack a dorsal fin and throat grooves. They have curved jaws.
What are the different types of Right Whale?
Southern Right Whale, Bowhead Whale. A Pygmy Right Whale is its own species.
Southern Right Whale - where do they reside?
Reside in southern hemisphere only.
Bowhead Whale - where do they reside?
Reside in arctic waters.
Pygmy Whale - belongs to what family?
Neobalaenidae family
Pygmy Whale - where reside, characteristics, comparison to other baleen whales, numbers, scientific names?
Reside in southern hemisphere only.
Small dorsal fin, short flippers and weakly arched jaw. No callosities on head. Ivory colour baleen plates.
Smallest baleen whale.
Sparse population.
Caperea marginata.
Which is the smallest baleen whale?
Pygmy right whale
What are baleen whales?
Blue whale, humpback whale, fin whale, gray whale, common minke whale, balaenidae
What are baleen plates and what whales have them?
fringed plates in whales mouth for filter feeding. Only baleen whales have them.H
How do all baleen whales feed?
Filter feeders