Page 414 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

412 ANIMAL LIFE

ORDER CETACEA 180 decibels, is louder than the sound
of a jet aircraft taking off. This animal’s BALEEN
Blue Whale future hangs in the balance after decades
of whaling. Although it is no longer Instead of teeth, baleen whales
Balaenoptera musculus hunted, it remains seriously endangered. have flexible strips of baleen, or smooth
outer
LENGTH 80–90 ft The blue whale has a flattened whalebone, which hang from the face
(24–27 m) head, a pointed snout, and a pleated, upper jaw. To feed, the whale takes
WEIGHT Up to 132 tons expandable throat. The rest of the in a mouthful of water, then sieves
(120 metric tons) body tapers to a pair of enormous it through its baleen. The water
HABITAT Open ocean tail fins (flukes). Blue whales are a is expelled, leaving small animals fringed
mottled blue mixed with gray on their trapped, which the whale inner
DISTRIBUTION Tropical, temperate, subpolar waters backs, but their undersides vary from then swallows. face
worldwide, except in regions with permanent sea ice white to yellow. They feed by filtering
small animals, mostly krill and other BALEEN STRIPS
The blue whale, one of the rorqual small crustaceans, from the water. Their Baleen strips are made of keratin, like human
whales, is probably the largest animal baleen plates can collect over 6,600 lb fingernails. The inner face of each strip is
that has ever lived. Its heart is the size (3,000 kg) of food a day. Females give divided into hundreds of parallel fibres.
of a small car and its call, at about birth to a single calf every 2–3 years.

ORDER CETACEA
Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus
LENGTH Up to 65 ft (20 m)
WEIGHT Up to 55 tons
(50 metric tons)
HABITAT Deep water,
especially close to edges
of continental shelves
DISTRIBUTION Worldwide, except extreme north
and south
The largest toothed whale, the sperm
whale is also the largest predator that
hunts individual prey. Even in poor
light, it is unmistakable, with a huge,
square-ended head. Adult males are
typically 13 ft (4 m) longer than females
and twice as heavy. This species has
OCEAN LIFE its tail. It dives to over 9,800 ft (3,000 m)
wrinkled skin and a row of knobby
projections between its dorsal fin and
to hunt giant squid. Its head contains a
store of a waxy oil called spermaceti,
which is thought to act as a buoyancy
regulator. The oil may also help to focus
beams of high-pitched sound, which
the whale uses to detect its prey.