the pygmy sperm whale ( kogia breviceps ) is one of three species of toothed whale in the sperm whale family .

they are not often sighted at sea , and most of what is known about them comes from the examination of stranded specimens .

pygmy sperm whale

this whale is 1 of 3 species of sperm whale ; the other two are the sperm whale and the dwarf sperm whale .
echolocation also provides the pygmy sperm whale with an early warning to incoming predators .
the pygmy sperm whale is a toothed whale that belongs to the cetacean species which includes all species of whale , dolphin and porpoise .
en - pygmy sperm whale , fr - cachalot pygmée , sp - cachalote pigmeo .
the pygmy sperm whale – kogia breviceps the firecracker whale by max newman april 1996 . a then - current study of available information on this remarkable whale the firecracker whale
once sexually mature the pygmy sperm whale can begin mating and reproducing offspring of its own .
dr steve van dyck from queensland museum talks to kim honan about the pygmy sperm whale .
acs pygmy sperm whale cetacean fact sheet - american cetacean society on 03 jan 2002 , a 2 . 88m ( 9 . 45ft ) adult pygmy sperm whale was stranded at thurlestone sands in south devon . [ photos ] irish whale and dolphin group : pygmy sperm whale , kogia breviceps whale and dolphin conservation society ( wdcs )
information on the pygmy sperm whale is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
neuron numbers in sensory cortices of five delphinids compared to a physeterid , the pygmy sperm whale .
sperm whale links sperm whales from the
whales in danger information service
in australia . whalenet , for teachers and students . the sperm whale project - promoting ocean conservation . listen to a sperm whale
dwarf sperm whalethe dwarf sperm whale ( kogia simus ) is a small toothed whale - it is also known as owen ' s pygmy sperm whale ( because it was originally described by the english scientist richard owen in 1866 ) .
the diet of the pygmy sperm whale consists mostly of crab , shrimp , fish , octopus and squid .
a pygmy sperm whale who was found beached at la jolla shores friday was in critical condition at seaworld saturday .
1994 .
pygmy sperm whale
( on - line ) . accessed december 4 , 1999 at urltoken .
source unidentified , pygmy sperm whale , page 88 , provided by karin cooper , fairbanks , alaska , 1996 .
the skull that acts to produce the sounds for echolocation . although the pygmy sperm
the second unknown behavior of the pygmy sperm whales was a process of regurgitation .
a pygmy killer whale calf with shark bite wounds . photo by dan mcsweeney .
neuron numbers in sensory cortices of five delphinids compared to a physeterid , the pygmy sperm whale . - pubmed - ncbi
pygmy sperm whale on the beach . by inwater research group - own work , cc by - sa 4 . 0
at sea it is often difficult to separate the pygmy sperm whale from the dwarf sperm whale . externally the only real difference is that the latter has a larger more prominent dorsal fin .
diet : a squid lover , the pygmy sperm whale sometimes preys on fish and crustaceans . it is believed that the pygmy sperm whale uses its eyesight to locate food in the deep as many of the squid it takes are light emitting .
more information about the dwarf and pygmy sperm whales at noaa’s southwest fisheries science center .
facts on dwarf and pygmy sperm whales ( kogia sp ) . - ocean blue adventures
not much is known about pygmy sperm whales reproduction and mating . it is known that
the classification of the pygmy sperm whale . the american naturalist of 1871 had an article describing the current state of classification of
long , , d . j . 1991 . apparent predation by a whale shark on carcharodon carcharias on a pygmy sperm whale kogia breviceps . fisheiry bulletin 538 - 540 .
sighting notes : similar in appearance to the pygmy sperm whale , but has a larger dorsal fin , generally set nearer the middle of the back . also , the dwarf sperm whale’s blowhole is positioned further forward .
. an adult sperm whale can eat about a ton of food each day .
another view of the pygmy killer whale calf with shark bite wounds . photo by robin baird .
pygmy sperm whales resemble dwarf sperm whales and were not recognised as a separate species until 1966 . as with the dwarf sperm whale , the pygmy sperm whale appears to have an unusual defence mechanism . when startled , it releases a cloud of reddish - brown intestinal fluid and then dives . this may act as a decoy very similar to that of squid ink .
dwarf sperm whales ( kogia sima ) and pygmy sperm whales ( kogia breviceps ) are the only two members of the family kogiidae , and both species are found in hawaiian waters . in our work we ' ve encountered dwarf sperm whales 84 times between 2002 and 2017 , while we ' ve seen pygmy sperm whales on only six occasions . however , pygmy sperm whales strand much more frequently than dwarf sperm whales in hawai‘i .
in baltimore reported adult pygmy sperm whales can eat 25 - 30 lb . daily . their relatives ,
similar to squids , pygmy sperm whales use an ink - like liquid to evade and deter predators .
key west — a juvenile pygmy sperm whale that volunteers tended round the clock for more than four months died early wednesday in a freak accident .
a pygmy sperm whale who was found beached at la jolla shores friday was in critical condition at seaworld saturday . ( photo courtesy of seaworld )
the small size and solitary behavior of the pygmy sperm whale makes them an ideal target for larger predators looking for an easy , defenseless meal .
have 12 - 16 teeth on each side and their blowhole is slightly displaced to the left . these two traits distinguish the pygmy sperm whale ,
the dorsal fin is also smaller in size when compared to the dwarf sperm whale .
breaches , landing in the water tail first . also like the great sperm whale ,
dwarf sperm whale with apparent line injury on dorsal fin . photo by annie douglas .
pygmy sperm whales , kogia breviceps , feed on octopuses , squid , crab , fish , and shrimp .
june 30 , 1995 .
pygmy sperm whale hawaiian stock
( on - line ) . accessed december 4 , 1999 at http : / / swfsc . ucsd . sars . pygmy _ hi . htm .
the pygmy sperm ( kogia breviceps ) is a small grey whale up to 4 metres long , which is more often seen after stranding than at sea . it too has spermaceti oil in its head . the pygmy is hard to distinguish from the very much rarer dwarf sperm whale ( kogia simus ) .
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in terms of size the pygmy sperm whale is slightly larger than its smaller cousin ( the dwarf sperm whale ) measuring between 9 1 / 2 – 11 1 / 2 ft . long and typically weighing between 600 – 1 , 000 pounds .
so a pygmy sperm whale is the most interesting thing i’ve found on the beach . it’s not the montauk monster , but it was far more interesting .
whale has ears , the earholes are plugged with wax . this whale actually
hears
water , a behavior the japanese name uik - kujira or floating whale . the whale would
brain than in many other odontocete brains examined , i . e . bottlenose dolphin , common dolphin , beluga whale and even sperm whale (
can be confused with : pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale are somewhat difficult to distinguish at sea . pygmy sperm whales grow to somewhat greater total lengths , and have smaller , more rounded dorsal fins , set farther back on the body . there is some degree of overlap in most of characteristics of these 2 species , and identifications must be made cautiously .
adult pygmy sperm whales range from 2 . 7 – 3 . 4 meters in length . they have three stomachs
several lineages of sperm whale were alive during the miocene epoch , from 5m to 24m years ago , but they suddenly became much less diverse during climatic cooling at the end of the epoch . today , there are only three living species : the sperm whale , the pygmy sperm whale and the dwarf sperm whale . modern sperm whales have smaller teeth in the lower jaw and are almost toothless in the upper jaw . they feed on squid at depth , which they capture by sucking in water .
pygmy sperm whales grow up to 14 feet in length and are similar to the great sperm whales for which they are named , according to the american cetacean society .
mystic — a pygmy sperm whale that surprised researchers by living far longer than expected died recently in its outdoor holding tank at the back of the mystic marinelife aquarium .
2d ct slice of the head in sagittal view of a pygmy sperm whale ( kogia breviceps ) demonstrating densities in the melon ( circles ) . ( related poster )
during the middle of the miocene epoch , between about 13m and 12m years ago , the sea which once blanketed present - day peru was home to an array of marine predators of gargantuan proportions . the famous
megashark
carcharocles megalodon swam these waters and so did the prehistoric cousins of the modern sperm whale , called physeteroids . this group of ancient sperm whales is only represented by three species today ( the sperm whale , the dwarf sperm whale , and the pygmy sperm whale ) , but the sperm whales of the miocene were quite distinct from their extant cousins .
the sperm whale was named for the valuable spermaceti oil ( wax ) that this whale produces in the spermaceti organ ( located in its head ) .
a pygmy sperm whale that beached itself on la jolla shores was in critical condition saturday as veterinarians and other animal - care specialists from seaworld worked to save its life .
male sperm whales can reach up to 20 metres in length , making it the largest toothed whale .
the pygmy sperm whales is a very rarely sighted marine mammal due to its small size , oceanic habitat and inactive nature .
clarke mr ( 1980 ) cephalopoda in the diet of sperm whales of the southern hemisphere and their bearing on sperm whale biology . discovery reports 37 : 1–324
the pygmy sperm whale is amongst the smallest of all whales ; they are about 1 . 2m at birth , growing to around 4m at maturity . adults weigh about 400kg .
the pygmy sperm whale rarely visits canadian waters . the animals reach about 3 . 6 metres when full grown and eat octopus , squid , crab fish and shrimp . this whale likely mistook the plastic for one of those creatures .
records from india : that there are two distinct species of small sperm whales , the dwarf and the pygmy , was recognised relatively recently . older records have therefore lumped the two together . from india , there are records of the pygmy sperm whale from visakhapatnam and trivandrum . with the available information , it is not clear whether these are distinct from the records of the dwarf sperm whale from the same localities .
cascadia research and the wild whale research foundation are continuing studies of this species in hawai‘i . in early december 2008 the first - ever satellite tag was deployed on a pygmy killer whale off the island of hawai‘i to examine movements , and another satellite tag was deployed on a pygmy killer whale in april 2009 .
the dwarf sperm whale has a shark - like profile ( but with a more pointed snout than the pygmy sperm whale ) , gray and white countershading , and a light pigment block resembling a shark’s gill slit on the side of its head . generally , a pair of short grooves similar to those in beaked whales is present on the dwarf sperm whale throat . it contains spermaceti in its melon .
diet pygmy sperm whale only have teeth in their bottom jaws ( between 20 and 32 teeth ) , which are used to consume squid and , less commonly , crustaceans and small fish .
the sperm whale ( physeter macrocephalus ) is the largest of the toothed whales , with males growing up to 20 metres in length . the sperm whale also has the largest brain of any living animal , and it was a sperm whale that was pitted against captain ahab in herman melville’s classic novel , moby dick ( 2 ) .
nowadays the dwarf sperm whale is generally classified as one of two species , along with the pygmy sperm whale , in the kogiidae family and kogia genus , however it was not until 1966 that the two species were regard as separate and even more recently kogiidae was regarded as a subfamily of physeteridae .
there have been no reports of a pygmy killer whale dying as a result of hawaii’s long - line tuna and swordfish fishery . but the mouth of a pygmy killer whale stranded on oahu in 2006 had hook and line marks , indicating fishing lines affect the animals .
satellite tagged pygmy killer whale with companions ( including hifa006 , photo above ) , december 7 , 2008 . photo by robin baird .
taxonomy nowadays the dwarf sperm whale is generally classified as one of two species , along with the pygmy sperm whale , in the kogiidae family and kogia genus , however it was not until 1966 that the two species were regard as separate and even more recently kogiidae was regarded as a subfamily of physeteridae .
the pygmy sperm whale is largely a solitary mammal that prefers traveling alone or in small groups although they may be found traveling in small pods of up to 8 other whales during certain times .
a pygmy sperm whale that washed up on a beach near mackay harbour in north queensland could have died after it was caught in fishing gear , from swallowing plastic bags or just old age .
the dwarf and pygmy sperm whales are the only two extant species in the family kogiidae , and as their name suggests they are small compared to their distant cousin the sperm whale . like sperm whales , their mouth is on the underside of their body , but unlike sperm whales they have very few and very small teeth that are sharply pointed and curved . like sperm whales , they are suction feeders and eat mostly squid .
pygmy and dwarf sperm whales are probably not rare , but are not common sightings , because of their offshore distribution and small group sizes .
the pygmy and dwarf sperm whales are two little known deep ocean dwelling cetaceans . their habit of lying motionless near the sea surface far from shore makes them difficult to detect . pygmy sperm whales are though to be more pelagic and dwarf sperm whales more coastal ( reeves et al . 2002 ) . pygmy sperm whales have been seen from japan , hawaii , washington state south to chile and the tasman sea ( reeves et al . ) . dwarf sperm whales are recorded from japan to british columbia south to new zealand and chile .
specifically , staudinger and colleagues hoped to identify differences , if any , in ecological niches occupied by pygmy and dwarf sperm whales . these smaller cousins of the sperm whale were once thought to be a single species until modern analyses showed they are genetically distinct .
when a potential predator is nearby the pygmy sperm whale can use echolocation to identify the threat and will release a dark ink cloud to block the view of its predator so that it can escape .
an inquisitive pygmy killer whale off the bow of our research vessel , off o‘ahu in october 2010 . photo by robin w . baird .
pygmy killer whale with healing injury on mouth - line , probably due to an interaction with a line fishery . photo by russ andrews .
the sperm whale is found in all of the oceans of the world , except the high arctic ( 6 ) .
pygmy sperm whales are found singly or in groups of two to three individuals . however , they are rarely sighted at sea , so most of what we know about this species comes from stranded animals . pygmy sperm whales are also one of the most commonly stranded species in nsw .
the whale , an 8 - foot - long male weighing about 500 pounds , was stranded on the atlantic coast of long island in july with a bile - duct obstruction . the pygmy sperm whale is a warm - water species that occasionally travels into colder waters .
now accepted as a distinct species , the dwarf sperm whale is found throughout much of the worlds tropical and temperate oceans .
vidal o ( 1987 ) recent records of pygmy sperm whales in the gulf of california , mexico . marine mammal sci 3 ( 4 ) : 354–356
taxonomy nowadays the dwarf sperm whale is generally classified as one of two species , along with the pygmy sperm whale , in the kogiidae family and kogia genus , however it was not until 1966 that the two species were regard as separate and even more recently kogiidae was regarded as a subfamily ( kogiinae ) of physeteridae . ( wiki )
nowadays the dwarf sperm whale is generally classified as one of two species , along with the pygmy sperm whale , in the kogiidae family and kogia genus , however it was not until 1966 that the two species were regard as separate and even more recently kogiidae was regarded as a subfamily ( kogiinae ) of physeteridae . ( full text )
wang mc , walker wa , shao kt , chou ls ( 2002 ) comparative analysis of the diets of pygmy sperm whales and dwarf sperm whales in taiwanese waters . acta zoologica taiwanica 13 ( 2 ) : 53–62
a pygmy sperm whale off kona , photo by daniel webster . we see pygmy sperm whales so infrequently we have not obtained many photos . this individual shows the very long back relative to the size of the dorsal fin , the rounded tip of the dorsal fin , and the hump in the back when logging at the surface , all characteristic of this species .
there are very few , probably less than 200 individuals , in this distinct pygmy killer whale population off the islands . the population’s limited number make it more vulnerable than other whale populations to potentially harmful human behavior .
oelschläger ha , kemp b ( 1998 ) ontogenesis of the sperm whale brain . j comp neurol , 399 : 210 - 228
the sperm whale is a toothed whale that lives in pods . it has a huge brain that weighs about 20 pounds ( 9 kg ) ; it is the largest brain of any animal . the sperm whale has a single blowhole that is s - shaped and about 20 inches long . the blowhole is located on the left side of the front if its huge head . the sperm whale has a 4 - 12 inch thick layer of blubber .
the sperm whale was named by the early whalers who discovered whitish oil in the whale’s head and thought the fluid looked like semen . it is possible that this spermaceti oil helps to focus the sound emitted during echolocation , and to stun the whale’s prey .
caldwell , d . k . and m . c . caldwell . 1989 . pygmy sperm whale kogia breviceps ; dwarf sperm whale kogia simus . pp . 235 - 260 in ( s . h . ridgway and r . harrison ( eds . ) . handbook of marine mammals : river dolphins and the large toothed whales . academic press , london .
beak analysis from cephalopod remains showed the diet of pygmy sperm whales to be more diverse than that of the dwarf species , the researchers report , and prey sizes were slightly larger for the pygmy than for the dwarf , but not statistically significantly so .
well , it turns out that there was one a large sperm whale that didn’t use its massive teeth and jaws to hunt squid .
fossil hunters have recovered the remains of an ancient sperm whale that boasted one of the largest bites of any predator that ever lived .
an adult dwarf sperm whale off the island of hawai‘i . photo by daniel webster . note the blunt head and large dorsal fin .
gomez - villota f ( 2006 ) sperm whale diet in new zealand . unpublished mappsc thesis , auckland university of technology , 231 pp
sperm whales produce ambergris , a dark , waxy substance ( related to cholesterol ) that is produced in the lower intestines , and is sometimes found containing squid beaks . ambergris may help protect the sperm whale from the stings on the giant squid , its major food . large lumps of ambergris may be vomited up by the sperm whale .
pygmy sperm whales are known from deep waters in tropical to warm temperate zones of all oceans . they appear to be especially common over and near the continental slope .
generally , the mammals don ' t live much longer than a few weeks once they have beached themselves , said george donnelly of the mystic aquarium . in 140 years , no one has restored a beached pygmy sperm whale to health .
poth c , fung c , güntürkün o , ridgway sh , oelschläger hha ( 2005 ) neuron numbers in sensory cortices of five delphinids compared to a physeterid , the pygmy sperm whale . brain res bull , 66 : 357 - 360
the sperm whale – physeter macrocephalus – is an oddball among living cetaceans . as big as many of its baleen - bearing cousins , yet armed with a lower jaw full of teeth slung below its blunt head , the sperm whale is the largest predaceous vertebrate in the sea .
i knew that i had come across a pygmy sperm whale . i was quite surprised . i ran back to tell my parents , who followed me closesly back to the whale . by then a crowd had gathered aroud the whale . and suddenly found myself like george costanza , an impromptu marine biologist . i explained the taxonomy of the species and how it was related to the bigger sperm whale that everyone knows . i explained how its jagged teeth helped it catch squid , which are its primary food source .
for the first time , researchers know how much fish a pygmy sperm whale needs to eat daily to maintain or gain weight , what is contained in the mammal ' s feces and how it might attempt to defend itself in the wild .
we ' ve been accumulating records for 150 years and of the 15 specimens that we ' ve got of the pygmy sperm whale in the museum they ' ve all come from the coast between brisbane and rockhampton ,
he said .
though there are sightings of solitary individuals , most of the whales travel in small pods of 3 - 6 . like the great sperm whale ,
sperm whale dives can last up to 2 hours and reach depths of up to 3 , 000 metres , making it the deepest diving mammal .
pygmy sperm whales are found either singly or in small groups of 3 - 5 . they are infrequently seen in the wild as they avoid marine traffic . strandings are found on coasts in the southeastern united states , some are found alive either as single individuals or cows with their calves . attempts to rescue stranded pygmy sperm whales have been unsuccessful .
download the above for information on how to distinguish between pygmy killer whales and melon - headed whales .
pygmy sperm whales are the second - most common species to strand in florida , after bottlenose dolphins . they almost always die after stranding , and none is alive in captivity .
adult pygmy sperm whales are 2 . 7 to 3 . 4 m long , and newborns are about 1 . 2 m . adults may weigh as much as 400 kg .
another very distinctive dwarf sperm whale off kona . photo by daniel webster . we have also found that dwarf sperm whales , like their larger cousin the sperm whale , often shed skin even when just resting at the surface , and we have been able to collect several samples for genetic analyses just by looking in the
fluke prints
of whales after they dive .
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could be confused with : there is a possibility of confusion with the dwarf sperm whale kogia simus . the two species can be distinguished as follows :
but these animals aren ' t long lived , i think the longevity in pygmy sperm whales is about 25 years so at some stage they ' ve got to die .
3d volume rendering technique ( vrt ) reconstruction from ct scans of the head in mid - sagittal view of a pygmy sperm whale ( kogia breviceps ) demonstrating the positions of the melon ( anterior section of blue transparency ) , skull , and soft tissues .
pygmy killer whale rolling at the surface , december 2008 . photo by robin baird . note the scarring on the mouth - line , probably due to interaction with a line fishery .
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i knew what i had come across . a few months before , i had purchased a guide book to the marine mammals of north america . i had learned that there were three species of sperm whale . one was the cachalot , the great whale that grappled with giant squid many fathoms down below the surface . it was the species immortalized in melville’s moby dick . the other two were much smaller . the one most common on the east coast is the pygmy sperm whale , and it is better known for being a light shade gray and a more conical head shape . the other species of sperm whale is also small . it is called the dwarf sperm whale . it has a squarer head and darker coloration . it also has a larger dorsal fin in proportion to its body size .
caldwell , d . k . , j . h . prescott and m . c . caldwell : production of pulsed sounds by the pigmy sperm whale ,
pygmy and dwarf sperm whales are very difficult to detect , except in extremely calm seas . pygmy sperm whales have a shark - like head with a narrow underslung lower jaw . the flippers are set high on the sides near the head . the small falcate dorsal fin ( < 5 % of the body length ) is usually set well behind the midpoint of the back .
sperm whales ( physeter macrocephalus ) are toothed whales ( suborder odontoceti ) although dna analysis shows that the sperm whale is actually more closely related to the baleen whales . these whales are one of 76 cetacean species and are marine mammals .
stranded specimens : present in the lower jaw are 10 to 16 pairs of thin , inward curved and sharp - pointed teeth , whilst no teeth are present in the upper jaw . the teeth have been described as being ' strongly reminiscent of the teeth of pythons’ . the number of teeth makes it easy to distinguish a dead pygmy sperm whale from a dwarf sperm whale k . simus ( q . v . ) .
she adds that isotopic tracer data suggest these two rare species , while not exactly the same , showed no significant differences in foraging parameters . “we found the ecologic niche of the two species is very similar in u . s . atlantic waters , which is consistent with other global studies , ” staudinger summarizes . “the pygmy sperm whale consumes a greater diversity and size of prey , which means they may be diving deeper than dwarf sperm whales to feed , this makes sense because pygmy sperm whales grow to larger sizes than dwarf sperm whales , however , this could also be an artifact of small sample sizes . ”
santoro , a . k . i . marten , and t . w . crawford . 1989 . pygmy sperm whale sound kogia breviceps . pp . 59 in abstracts of the 8th biennial conferenc eon the biology of marinn mammals . pacific grove , ca , usa .
baird , r . w . , d . nelson , j . lien and d . w . nagorsen . 1996 . the status of the pygmy sperm whale , kogia breviceps , in canada . canadian field - naturalist 110 : 525 - 532 . download pdf copy
whales or toothed whales . the other two odontocete whales are the larger sperm whales
the sperm whale is by far the largest of the toothed whales , and the size difference between males and females is much more marked than in any other whale species . males are about 18 metres long and weigh 32–45 tonnes , and are up to 40 % longer and 300 % heavier than females . the sperm whale’s brain weighs almost 10 kilograms , and is the heaviest of any animal .
the sperm whale is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) and is listed under appendix i of cites ( 4 ) .
the pygmy sperm whale , very similar to the dwarf sperm whale in appearances , is seldom seen as it prefers living in the deep waters that are far away from the shore . for this reason , there is not much known about its behaviour and habits . it is usually seen when it is floating at the surface of the water , in its resting position , with its back and head bobbing lazily out of the water .
generally regarded more as a common species rather than abundant , the threat the pygmy sperm whale faces is not direct hunting , although this does occur . rather , the increasing incidence of entanglement in nets and ingestion of marine pollution such as plastic bags is the main threat .
dr van dyck says there is no shortage of the pygmy whales and the mammals are found world - wide .
this whale is a bluish gray color with a lighter pinkish colored under body .
in efficient click production that the whale has lost the ability to produce whistles .
pygmy sperm whales rely on echolocation in order to hunt for food and navigate the ocean and may have difficulty distinguishing sounds due to human created sounds becoming more and more common in their aquatic habitat .
falcate dorsal fin is located to the rear of the midback . unlike the giant sperm
the pygmy sperm whale ' s diet largely consists of a variety of squid and cuttlefish however they are also known to take shrimp , crabs and some fish . they are thought to forage over a range of ocean depths , which includes some time feeding on or near the ocean bottom .
table of contents showtoctoggle (
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) 1 taxonomy 2 physical description 3 population and distribution 4 human interaction 5 see also 6 references taxonomy nowadays the dwarf sperm whale is generally classified as one of two species , along with the pygmy sperm whale , in the kogiidae family and kogia genus , however it was not until 1966 that the two species were regard as separate and even more recently kogiidae was regarded as a subfamily of physeteridae .
the name for this newly discovered whale is quite literary . its name is leviathan melvillei . leviathan– for the sea creature that is mentioned in the book of job . melvillei– for the author who created the image of the fierce sperm whale in the public consciousness .
whether or not their teeth are necessary for hunting prey is uncertain as their larger sperm whale relative is known to successfully capture prey without teeth and even with a deformed jaw .
found in : pygmy sperm whales may be primarily oceanic . however , they tend to stay close to or over the continental slope . they feed on squid , fish and crabs from both deep and shallow water .
sperm whales , which can be found throughout the mediterranean sea , typically feed on squid .
the small , stocky body of the pygmy sperm whale is dark grey or blue - grey on top and pale on its belly . in some individuals , this paler belly has a slightly pink colouration . the body can appear wrinkled in many cases . its blowhole is situated ahead of its eyes , on the top of its head , which is far further forward than most other whale species .
pygmy sperm whales , kogia breviceps , may be found in all temperate , sub - tropical , and tropical waters . they are not known to migrate . population figures are unknown , but they are not considered endangered .
baird , r . w . 2005 . sightings of dwarf ( kogia sima ) and pygmy ( k . breviceps ) sperm whales from the main hawaiian islands . pacific science 59 : 461 - 466 . download pdf copy
the sperm whale captures its prey by diving deep into the ocean’s trenches . it reaches depths of 3 , 000 metres , descending at a rate of over 100 metres a minute . the whale can stay there up to an hour and , in the dark , find its prey by echolocation . on surfacing , the whale takes 45–50 breaths to re - oxygenate .
sperm whales are found in many open oceans , both in tropical and cool waters . sperm whales live at the surface of the ocean but dive very deeply to catch the giant squid .
i had an encounter with a dead pygmy sperm whale that washed up on the beach on the outer banks of north carolina . i had been walking on the beach that morning , as was my normal custom . i saw this pinkish thing off in the distance , and people were stopping to look at it .
scott , m . d . and j . g . cordaro . 1987 . behavioral observations of the dwarf sperm whale , kogia simus . marine mammal science 3 : 353 - 354 .
a 4 . 5 tonne sperm whale that washed ashore in southern spain died from ingesting large amounts of plastic sheets used in greenhouses on farms in the region , a scientist said thursday .
baird , r . w .
pygmy killer whale
encyclopedia of marine mammals . ed bernd würsig , j . g . m . thewissen , kit kovacs . 3rd edition . elsevier inc . 2018 . download pdf copy
and the slightly smaller dwarf sperm whales . see table 1 and figure 1 . it has been
pygmy killer whales , one of the most poorly - known species of dolphins in the world , are observed at least several times a year within hawaiian waters . through photo id’s , they ( unlike pygmy killer whales anywhere else in the world ) seem to be “regular” residents – never leaving the coastline . our onboard studies have shown that oahu has it’s own resident pod of pygmy killer whales .
the whale is being treated inside a rehabilitation pool at the park’s animal health and rescue center .
solve the 1 - digit addition problems , then do letter substitutions to answer a whale question .
solve the 1 - digit subtraction problems , then do letter substitutions to answer a whale question .
for the best tips to spot this elusive species , visit our whale watching tips and guidelines .
the modern sperm whale , for all its ferocious teeth , is a gentle giant compared with its ancestors ( click to enlarge ) . illustration : the royal natural history / richard lydekker ( 1893 )
there has been no documented case of a pygmy killer whale being hurt by sonar . but there’s low probability anyone would be able to document such harm given the whales are so rare and because they generally spend their time miles offshore .
habitat : dwarf sperm whales are oceanic animals , moving across and over the continental shelf to feed .
the lack of information about the pygmy sperm whale ' s social structure makes life history data difficult to gather . most of what is known is obtained from the many single animals or occasionally mothers with calves that strand . the gestation period is thought to be about 12 months and it appears likely that females give birth on a yearly basis .
the researchers , who were led by dr . christian de muizon , realized they had discovered something unusual . they had discovered a predatory form of sperm whale that did not live mostly on giant squid .
people spotted the whale swimming in the harbour , moving slowly with injuries to its neck and tail .
the pygmy sperm whale uses echolocation to detect its prey and they occur in small groups of 6 - 10 individuals . it has a spermaceti organ in its forehead ( hence the name ) and a sac in its intestines that contains a dark red fluid that is expelled when it is frightened , a feature that is used to confuse and disorient predators .
only one species of the genus kogia ( k . breviceps ) was recognized until 1966 , when studies clearly showed the pygmy and dwarf ( k . sima ) sperm whales to be distinct species ( handley 1966 , chivers et al . 2005 ) .
sperm whales are the deepest diving whales . although they live at the surface they dive to hunt giant squid
dwarf sperm whales are usually solitary creatures but have occasionally been seen in small groups . ( full text )
the common sperm whale is the largest predator on earth . the great rorquals , such as the fin and blue whale , are quite a bit larger , but they are not considered true predators . they are filter feeders , who rely upon the baleen in their mouths to strain out tiny fish and krill for sustenance .
group sizes tend to be small , most often less than five individuals ( although groups of up to 10 have been recorded ) . this species , like the pygmy sperm whale , is shy and undemonstrative when observed at sea . they often drift motionless at the surface . when startled , dwarf sperm whales may leave a large rust - colored cloud of fecal material behind as they dive . in at least one area , there appears to be a calving peak in summer .
through their discovery and description , brygomophyseter , zygophyseter , acrophyseter , and livyatan have fleshed out the wider evolutionary context for the extant sperm whale . the cachalot is the suction - feeding remnant of a lineage of rapacious , predatory whales which were the equivalent of orcas in their ecosystems , and we now know that some of the traits previously thought to be unique adaptations of the living sperm whale are actually many millions of years old .
volunteers searched the lagoon and found the whale underwater and unresponsive . they tried to resuscitate her but failed .
general description : the pygmy sperm whale has a sharklike appearance . it has a robust body with a short head . in larger animals , the head is boxlike or rectangular , at times bulbous . the lower jaw ends well behind the tip of the snout . there is no beak and the tail stock is narrow . the nose is swollen and filled with spermaceti .
my suspicions were furth substantiated when i read about this indo - pacific bottlenosed dolphin in new zealand . this dolphin had helped a female pygmy sperm whale and her calf that came to close to the shore . the dolphin guided the whales back away from the beach and into deeper water . perhaps that was what the atlantic bottlenose dolphins were doing that day in north carolina .
now , those were the facts i knew about sperm whales . they are pretty much just strange toothed whales .
this new specimen should give us additional information about the past diversity of sperm whales ,
said lambert .
pygmy sperm whales are countershaded , ranging from dark grty on the back to white below . often the belly has a pinkish tone . there is a light coloured bracket mark , dubbed the
false gill
, along the side between the eye and the flipper .
for the investigation , which used two complementary methods to characterize whale foraging ecology , staudinger and colleagues at the university of north carolina wilmington ( unc ) analyzed stomach contents collected by the marine mammal stranding network from 22 pygmy and nine dwarf sperm whales found dead on the mid - atlantic coast between 1998 and 2011 . study results appear in the april issue of marine mammal science .
willis , p . m . , and r . w . baird . 1998 . status of the dwarf sperm whale ( kogia simus ) in canada . canadian field - naturalist 112 : 114 - 125 . download pdf copy
this is important information , staudinger says , because if these two species show no evidence of resource partitioning there are likely enough food resources to support both their populations in the region . though if resources shifted or became limiting , pygmy sperm whales would likely have an advantage over dwarf sperm whales as they show evidence of being able to exploit a wider range of food resources and habitats .
handley , c . o . 1966 . a synopsis of the genus kogia ( pygmy sperm whales ) . pp 62 - 69 in whales , dolphins and porpoises ( norris , k . s . , ed ) . university of california press , los angeles , california .
even though it was about the same size as the modern sperm whale , this creature was like a giant orca ; for instead of eating giant squid , its diet most likely consisted of other marine mammals , including other whales .
however , there are two other species that are quite a bit smaller . these are the two whales in the genus kogia — the dwarf and the pygmy sperm whales . they are significantly smaller than the cachalot . they are both dolphin - sized creatures . like the common sperm whale , both of these creatures have spermaceti organs in their heads . both also carry a reddish substance in their intestines . if they are spooked , they will release that substance . it is thought to be used in the same way as the octopus’s ink . the predator becomes confounded in the substance , allowing the little whale to escape .
we also know sperm whales from herman melville’s moby dick , which is partly based upon a true story of a bull sperm whale that rammed a whaling ship in the south pacific . bulls are known to be quite protective of their cows , and it is not an urban legend that they might ram a ship to in defense of their females .
a post - mortem last week showed that the whale died of an abscess deep in its right lung . the abscess appeared to have been caused by a pine needle the whale had inhaled , veterinarian j . lawrence dunn said .
diagnostic features : at sea , size of the whale ( up to 3 . 4 m long ) , false gill , low and sickle - shaped dorsal fin , rust - coloured fecal stain left by the whale when alarmed .
this whale was dated to 12 million years ago , and although it may be a bit speculative , it suggests that the common sperm whales evolved from a group of giant predatory whales that later became more specialized as the ecology changed .
this sperm whale could firmly hold large prey with its interlocking teeth , inflict deep wounds and tear large pieces from the body of the victim ,
the researchers write in the journal nature ( vol 466 , p 105 ) .
the aquarium expressed disappointment at the whale ' s death , but donnelly said the rescue effort was not in vain .
researchers found that the whale , like an octopus using ink , may release a substance to hide itself from enemies .
citation :
pygmy sperm whales , kogia breviceps ~ marinebio . org .
marinebio conservation society . web . accessed monday , july 9 , 2018 . < urltoken > . last update : 1 / 14 / 2013 2 : 22 : 00 pm ~ contributor ( s ) : marinebio
huggenberger s , andré m , oelschläger h ( 2014 ) the nose of the sperm whale : overviews of functional design , structural homologies and evolution . j mar biol ass uk : 11 - 24 . doi : 10 . 1017 / s0025315414001118 .
pygmy killer whales prior to deployment of a suction - cup attached time - depth recorder / vhf radio tag , used to study diving behavior . photo by robin baird .
when i got closer , i realized it was a whale , and not only that , i knew what it was .
such was the fate of the whaler known as the essex . it was sunk when a bull sperm whale rammed it , and the whalers had to escape in their smaller whale chasing boats across the south pacific . a really good account can be found in this book . let’s just say that the story includes cannibalism , including sucking the marrow out of another human’s bones .
the cachalot or the common sperm whale ( physeter macrocephalus ) is the one most think of when considering these toothed whales . it is a relatively large whale , reaching lengths in excess of 65 feet . it is known for having the largest brain of any living mammal , and it is also known diving to great depths to grapple with giant squid , its main prey source .
killer sperm whales were not just restricted to the waters of prehistoric south america . in 2006 researchers toshiyuki kimura , yoshikazu hasegawa , and lawrence barnes reassessed 15 - 14m - year - old fossil remains from japan which had been attributed to a little - known physeteroid called scaldicetus . this genus had been established on the basis of a few isolated teeth from belgium , but when further fossil remains of the whale from japan were found they were distinctive enough to establish the new genus of killer sperm whale , brygmophyseter .
oelschläger hha , ridgway sh , knauth m ( 2010 ) cetacean brain evolution : dwarf sperm whale ( kogia sima ) and common dolphin ( delphinus delphis ) – an investigation with high - resolution 3d mri . brain behav evol , 75 : 33 - 62
the head of the pygmy sperm whale is short and supports a bulbous snout that becomes blunter with age . the snout contains the spermaceti organ . the short narrow underslung mouth is characteristic of the family kogiidae group and in this species contains 12 to 16 pairs of teeth in the lower jaw . the overall upper body colour is a bluish steel grey , which fades to a dull white below the head , body , flippers and flukes .


acanthopleura is a genus of chitons in the family chitonidae .

in this genus the girdle is spiny or spiky .

it has eight described species at present .

acanthopleura

worms - world register of marine species - acanthopleura brevispinosa ( g . b . sowerby ii , 1840 )
acanthopleura spiniger ( sowerby , 1840 ) ( the nominal species is a synonym of acanthopleura gemmata ; the sw indian ocean records refer to a . brevispinosa ; red sea records to a . vaillantii ( see kaas et al . 2006 ) )
ferreira , a . j . 1986 ,
a revision of the genus acanthopleura guilding , 1829 ( mollusca : polyplacophora )
, veliger , vol . 28 , pp . 221 - 279
( the nominal species is a synonym of acanthopleura gemmata ; the sw indian ocean records refer to a . brevispinosa ; red sea records to a . vaillantii ( see kaas et al . 2006 ) )
( of acanthopleura haddoni winckworth , 1927 ) strack h . l . ( 1993 ) the polyplacophora of the red sea . journal of the malacological society of australia 14 : 1 - 40 . [ 30 october 1993 ] [ details ]
( of acanthopleura spiniger ( sowerby , 1840 ) ) leloup , e . ( 1981 ) . chitons de tulear , reunion , maurice et tahiti . bull . inst . r . sci . nat . belg . ( biologie ) 53 ( 3 ) : 1 - 46 . [ details ]
( of acanthopleura haddoni winckworth , 1927 ) richmond , m . ( ed . ) ( 1997 ) . a guide to the seashores of eastern africa and the western indian ocean islands . sida / department for research cooperation , sarec : stockholm , sweden . isbn 91 - 630 - 4594 - x . 448 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
lyons , w . g . and f . moretzsohn . 2009 . polyplacophora ( mollusca ) of the gulf of mexico , pp . 569–578 in felder , d . l . and d . k . camp ( eds . ) , gulf of mexico–origins , waters , and biota . biodiversity . texas a & m ; press , college station , texas . [ details ]
description distinctive , large species with dimpled plate margins and a dark girdle of conspicuous spicules , up to 7 cm . habitat : . . .
description distinctive , large species with dimpled plate margins and a dark girdle of conspicuous spicules , up to 7 cm . habitat : littoral fringe rock surfaces . distribution : western indian ocean ( richmond , 1997 ) . [ details ]
taylor , j . d . ( 1971 ) . intertidal zonation at aldabra atoll . phil . trns . roy . soc . lond . b . 260 , 173 - 213 [ details ]
kaas p . ( 1996 ) . chitons ( mollusca : polyplacophora ) from the seychelles with description of a new species . zoologische mededelingen . 70 ( 25 ) : 367 - 375 . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
( of chiton brevispinosus g . b . sowerby ii , 1840 ) petit , r . e . ( 2009 ) . george brettingham sowerby , i , ii & iii : their conchological publications and molluscan taxa . zootaxa . 2189 : 1–218 . , available online at urltoken [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
leloup , e . ( 1981 ) . chitons de tulear , reunion , maurice et tahiti . bull . inst . r . sci . nat . belg . ( biologie ) 53 ( 3 ) : 1 - 46 . [ details ]
( of chiton gemmatus blainville , 1825 ) blainville h . m . d . de ( 1825 ) . oscabrion , chiton , pp . 519 - 555 , in : dictionnaire des sciences naturelles ( f . cuvier , ed . ) , vol . 36 . levrault , strasbourg & paris , & le normant , paris . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 544 [ details ]
description similar to a . brevispinosa but with shorter spicules and a brown girdle with lighter bands . habitat : upper littoral rocks . . .
description similar to a . brevispinosa but with shorter spicules and a brown girdle with lighter bands . habitat : upper littoral rocks and cliffs . distribution : indo - pacific ( richmond , 1997 ) . [ details ]
richmond , m . ( ed . ) ( 1997 ) . a guide to the seashores of eastern africa and the western indian ocean islands . sida / department for research cooperation , sarec : stockholm , sweden . isbn 91 - 630 - 4594 - x . 448 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
liu j . y . [ ruiyu ] ( ed . ) . ( 2008 ) . checklist of marine biota of china seas . china science press . 1267 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
zenetos , a . ; gofas , s . ; verlaque , m . ; cinar , m . ; garcia raso , j . ; bianchi , c . ; morri , c . ; azzurro , e . ; bilecenoglu , m . ; froglia , c . ; siokou , i . ; violanti , d . ; sfriso , a . ; san martin , g . ; giangrande , a . ; katagan , t . ; ballesteros , e . ; ramos - espla , a . ; mastrototaro , f . ; ocana , o . ; zingone , a . ; gambi , m . ; streftaris , n . ( 2010 ) . alien species in the mediterranean sea by 2010 . a contribution to the application of european union’s marine strategy framework directive ( msfd ) . part i . spatial distribution . mediterranean marine science . 11 ( 2 ) : 381 - 493 . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
zenetos , a . ; meric , e . ; verlaque , m . ; galli , p . ; boudouresque , c . ; giangrande , a . ; cinar , m . ; bilecenoglu , m . ( 2008 ) . additions to the annotated list of marine alien biota in the mediterranean with special emphasis on foraminifera and parasites . mediterranean marine science . 9 ( 1 ) : 119 - 165 . , available online at urltoken [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
katsanevakis , s . ; bogucarskis , k . ; gatto , f . ; vandekerkhove , j . ; deriu , i . ; cardoso a . s . ( 2012 ) . building the european alien species information network ( easin ) : a novel approach for the exploration of distributed alien species data . bioinvasions records . 1 : 235 - 245 . , available online at urltoken [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
strack h . l . ( 1993 ) the polyplacophora of the red sea . journal of the malacological society of australia 14 : 1 - 40 . [ 30 october 1993 ] [ details ]
this page was last edited on 7 january 2018 , at 23 : 19 .
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m . de kluijver , g . gijswijt , r . de leon & i . da cunda
humann , p . , 1992 . reef creature identification - florida caribbean bahamas , ( ed . n . deloach ) . new world publications , inc . , paramount miller graphics , inc . , jacksonville , florida .
sorry , there are no other images or audio / video clips available for this species .
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
gmelin , j . f . [ 1791 ] . caroli a linné , systema naturae . tom . i . pars vi . - pp . 3021 - 3910 . lipsiae . ( beer ) .
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- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
besides starfish , the intertidal zones of marine parks are inhabited with various kinds of marine life . chiton is one of the odd ones which may draw your attention .
have you ever wondered how the chiton may generate such a strong adhesion force to the rock surface ? in fact , when it is about to attach onto a surface , its feet clamp down tightly against the substratum while the inner margin is raised . the vacuum area created enables the chiton to grip the substratum with great tenacity . it takes a great deal of effort to dislodge the chiton and it may cause injury to the chiton .
if you have images for this taxon that you would like to share with atlas of living australia , please upload using the upload tools .
ashby , e . 1928 ,
notes on a collection of chitons ( polyplacophora ) from the capricorn group , queensland
, transactions of the royal society of south australia , vol . 52 , pp . 167 - 173 pl . 12
smith , e . a . 1884 ,
mollusca . pp . 34 - 116 , 487 - 508 , 657 - 659 , pls 4 - 7
, report on the zoological collections made in the indo - pacific ocean during the voyage of the h . m . s . ' alert ' 1881 - 2 , british museum trustees , printed by taylor & francis , london
rochebrune , a . t . de 1882 ,
diagnoses d ' espèces nouvelles de la famille des chitonidae ( premier supplément )
, bulletin de la société philomathique de paris , ser . 7 , vol . 6 , pp . 190 - 197
sowerby , g . b . ii 1840 ,
descriptions of some new chitons
, magazine of natural history , ser . ns , vol . 4 , no . suppl . , pp . 287 - 294 pl . 16
leloup , e . 1937 ,
diagnoses de six nouvelles espèces d ' amphineures polyplacophores de la region indo - pacifique
, bulletin du musée royal d ' histoire naturelle du belgique , vol . 13 , no . 38 , pp . 1 - 3
blainville , h . m . d de 1825 ,
oscabrelle . oscabrion
bergenhayn , j . r . m . 1933 ,
die loricaten von prof . dr . sixten bocks expedition nach japan und den bonin - inseln 1914
, kongliga svenska vetenskaps - academiens nya handlingar , stockholm , vol . 12 , pp . 1 - 58 pls 1 - 3
ang , e . z . 1967 ,
loricates of the philippines
, natural and applied science bulletin , university of the philippines , vol . 20 , pp . 383 - 464 pls 1 - 21
adams , a . 1855 ,
descriptions of two new genera and several new species of mollusca , from the collection of hugh cuming , esq .
, proceedings of the zoological society of london , vol . 1855 , no . 23 , pp . 119 - 124
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : d0e08d25 - a843 - 4eb2 - be86 - 45bea52e4e62
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : be175671 - 98cc - 4264 - 9b71 - 1501b3396dce
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 390525
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the checklists are descriptive documents of the species that are part of a concrete taxonomic group or a group of species that are part of an specific analysis .
these documents have a structure that includes a list of the authors , a description of the taxonomic group or subject , and a list of the species that are part of the list .
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a complete set of a checklist include a pdf document and a table in csv format .
gustavo jiménez - uzcátegui , david a . wiedenfeld , f . hernán vargas , howard l . snell .
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anne guézou , susana chamorro , paola pozo , ana mireya guerrero , rachel atkinson , chris buddenhagen , patricia jaramillo díaz , mark gardener .
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