There are a number of small irregular grooves on the throat behind the mouth. There are between fourteen and twenty-four teeth on the lower jaw, with up to three pairs on the upper. They are dark bluish grey in colour, lightening to a pinkish off-white underneath. Maximum weight is around 210kg, with a maximum length of 2.7m being attained in both sexes. Dwarf Sperm Whales are oceanic animals, moving across and over the continental shelf to feed.
Pods contain less than ten animals, mainly females with calves and sexually immature males.
The behaviour of the Dwarf Sperm Whale is very similar to that of the Pygmy Sperm Whale. The blow is inconspicuous and low, and after blowing the cetacean simply drops out of sight. It rarely approaches boats, and when startled evacuates a reddish-brown intestinal fluid as a decoy before it dives. Again akin to the Pygmy Sperm Whale, larger numbers of this small cetacean are caught in gill-nets.