Kingdom, Phylum, Sub-Phylum, Class….Cetacea

Cetaceans are the whales and includes

dolphins and porpoises

Breakdown of Cetacean Classification: ~80 Species of Cetaceans (from theLatin word cetus, meaning whale)All but 5 species are marineDivided into 2 Families

Family Mysticeti, or Baleen Whales:no teeth but have baleen: filter-feedersFamily Odontoceti, or Toothed Whales:carnivorous hunters

Unlike the Pinnepeds, the Cetaceans spend their entire lives in the waterLike all mammals, they

Breathe air with LungsAre EndothermsHave an efficient 4-Chambered HeartHave Placental fetus developmentNurse young with Mammary glandsAre highly Intelligent

AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT ADAPTATIONS: THESE HELP THEM BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN AQUATIC

ENVIRONMENTSFront appendages are modified in

anterior flippersMost have a dorsal finRear appendages modified into a tail—

this ends in a pair of fin-like horizontal

“flukes”The pelvic girdle and hind limbs are

greatly reduced in size

Have internal ears- external ears not needed underwater; more streamlined

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF WHALES1- BLUBBER: As in the pinnepeds, their

blubber provides insulation, buoyancy & stored energyThis was, of course, the primary

commercial reason many of these organisms were hunted almost to extinction

Blubber is cut off the carcass and heated on-board ships in huge caldronsThese sailing ships could easily be spotted due to the dark smoke from blubber burned to heat the same cauldrons

It is then cooked down to melt the fat, which is strained and poured up into barrels as whale oil

This was distributed and sold nation-wide as the energy source for oil lamps in the age before kerosene was refined from petroleum and natural gas from wells.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF WHALES•2- BLOWHOLE: this nostril adaptation is either a single vent in Odontoceti or a two-hole vent in Mysticeti•3- ECHOLOCATION: Only Odontoceti utilize this specialized sound and hearing application

•An enlarged part of the brain known as a “melon” processes echolocation•Using echolocation, they can determine size, distance and shape of objects underwater•Mysticeti do not use echolocation

•4- VOCALIZATION: Whales produce the loudest animal sounds on earth; but not from vocal cords: it is from their respiratory system using the blowhole!

•Humpback Whale “songs” •http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_whale_songs

•Loudest animal sound produced is by the Sperm Whale, 180dB

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF WHALES5-BALEEN: Instead of teeth the Mysticeti have

tough, flexible baleenBaleen is composed of keratin (like bird feathers are!)Commercially harvested for use in corsets, skirt

hoops, umbrellas rods and other similar devices requiring strength and flexibility

Replaced today by metal, graphite and fiberglass rods6- AMBERGRIS: produced in the bile of the sperm

whale, it is a greasy substance that is expelled via the anus or mouth and floats on the water; harvested when it washes ashoreCommercially harvested, it is an exotic, valuable

perfume baseNowadays it has mostly been replaced by synthetic

substances7- MEAT: Several countries utilize whale meat as a

food; Japan is notable, as well as Iceland and the Faeroe Islands; plus native tribes as a part of their cultural heritage

WHALE BEHAVIORS:BreachingAn activity when whales rise out of the water, surfacing up into the air

They dramatically come out of the water, then suddenly fall backGrey whales are famous for

breaching http://www.acsonline.org/index.html

http://www.greywhale.com/whale%20breaching%20photos.htm

SoundingAn activity when the whale's flukes

surface vertically into the air as the whale deeply dives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgfDxmesz00&feature=player_embedded

Sounding

BeachingAn activity when the a whale strands itself

onshoreTheir skeleton cannot support their weightThey dehydrate; they may drown in high tideThe whale may be ill; it may be disoriented

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Beaching

Sounding

Family Mysticeti: the Baleen WhalesUnique because of their baleen11 speciesPrimarily plankton eaters (krill)Sustenance hunting allowed by

Inuits, et al

Baleen/Mysticeti Whale AnatomyThe throat grooves are properly called rorquals; like an accordion, they have expanding pleats

The beak, or nose area is a rostrum;

The toothed whalesThere are two vents in the Baleen Whale blowhole.

Baleen – rows of flexible, fibrous plates that hang from upper jawsMade of the same material as our hair and nails (keratin)

Inner edge of each baleen plate has hair-like bristles that overlap and form a dense mat in the roof of the mouth

Up to 3' long!

Baleen whales eat by taking in huge mouthfuls of water with concentrations of planktonThe mouth opens and the rorquals

expand to accommodate the waterThe rorquals compress, straining the

water through the baleenPlankton is caught on the bristles of the

baleenThe huge tongue passes over the inside

of the baleen to wipe the plankton off and swallow it

The Mysticeti Whales & WhalingWhaling was probably sustainable until inventions like...

The Exploding Harpoon Steam and diesel-electric Power Inflation techniques to prevent carcasses from sinking

With International Whaling Commission regulations and protective laws in almost all countries, the large whales are fighting their way back from near extinction

However, a ten-year moratorium on commercial whaling may be lifted if pro-whaling countries have their way!

Commercial Whaling Rt. 1930's California Coast

Above- exploding harpoons Rt.- Deck of Modern Japanese

Whaling Ship http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121984941913476621.html

The Diet:Krill: >85 spp; crustaceansKeystone species - most important part of baleen

whales' dietAntarctic Krill ~2.3” long; weigh <2 gmWill “swarm” with densities 10,00-30,00/m3

Also eat smaller fish like anchovies, mackerel & herring

The Humpback- Humpback whales are active, acrobatic whales. They can throw

themselves completely out of the water (breaching), and swim on their backs with both flippers in the air. They also engage in "tail lobbing" (raising their huge flukes out of the water and then slapping it on the surface) and "flipper slapping" (using their flippers to slap the water). It is possible that these behaviors are important in communication between humpbacks.

Perhaps the most interesting behavior of humpback whales is their "singing." Scientists have discovered that humpback whales sing long, complex "songs". Whales in the North American Atlantic population sing the same song, and all the whales in the North American Pacific population sing the same song. However, the songs of each of these populations and of those in other areas of the world are uniquely different. A typical song lasts from 10-20 minutes, is repeated continuously for hours at a time, and changes gradually from year to year. Singing whales are males, and the songs may be a part of mating behavior.

From American Cetacean Society webpage

The Blue Whale-Largest animal to ever liveA single 90-foot blue whale could yield up to 120 barrels of

oil, and the blues were killed by the thousands. The slaughter peaked in 1931 when over 29,000 were killed in one season. After that blue whales became so scarce that the whalers turned to other species and, belatedly, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned all hunting of blue whales in 1966 and gave them worldwide protection.

Recovery has been extremely slow, and only in the last few years have there been signs that their numbers may be increasing. Pre-whaling population estimates were over 350,000 blue whales, but up to 99% of blue whales were killed during whaling efforts. Presently, there are an estimated 5-10,000 blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere, and only around 3-4,000 in the Northern Hemisphere.

From American Cetacean Society webpage

The Right Whale- Hunted by whalers who thought that it was the "right" whale to kill

because it was considered "proper" or the [best whale to hunt]. They were easy targets, if you [were] going out in small boats with harpoons and lances an 'easy' business. Right whales swim slowly and float when dead, important in those days

Its rostrum (upper jaw) is narrow and is often covered by "callosities," hardened patches of skin that occur in the facial area.

The right whale is extremely endangered, even after years of protected status. Best population estimates are 300 -350 in the North Atlantic, perhaps less than 100 in the eastern North Pacific and an unknown (but small) number in the western North Pacific, and 3,000-4,000 in the Southern Hemisphere. Full protection was granted in 1931, but despite over 50 years of protection, recovery has been questionable.

Only in the past 15 years is there evidence of a population recovery in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is still not known if the right whale will survive at all in the Northern Hemisphere. Although not presently hunted, current conservation problems include collisions with ships, conflicts with fishing activities, habitat destruction, oil drilling, and possible competition from other whale species.

From American Cetacean Society webpage

Family Odontoceti: The Toothed WhalesHave a large melon-the front part of the brainThe rostrum is usually elongatedThe toothed whales have one single vent for the blowholeIncludes Killer Whales, Porpoises and Dolphins, and Sperm Whales among othershttp://www.acsonline.org/factpack/flash/dolphin-montage.html

Sperm Whale-Moby Dick was a novel based on the hunt of a sperm whale off New England's coast

Its main source of food is medium-sized deep water squid, but it also feeds on species of fish, skate, octopus, and smaller squid. A sperm whale consumes about one ton (907 kg) of food each day.

Deepest diver of the great whales-descends to depths over 3,300 feet/1000 m for over an hour

Still fairly numerous, but selective killing of the larger males upset the male-to-female ratio so the birth rate seriously declined

The average size of sperm whales killed noticeably decreased during the last 40 years of hunting

For spermaceti and ambergris; they were two massive hunting periods: during 1740-1880, and modern hunts; peaked in 1964, when 29,255 were killed.

Most recent estimates suggest a global population of about 360,000 animals down from about 1,100,000 before whaling.

http://www.grindtv.com/blog/17290/dominicas%20whale%20whisperer%20shares%20a%20remarkable%20story/

Killer Whales

The Killer Whale, aka Orca and Blackfish, is common to almost all oceans and coasts

The have a matriarchal society, with the calves living with the mothers in pods for several years

Maturing juvenile males leave the podMature males have an isoceles-shaped 6' dorsal finImmature males and females have shorter falcate

(curved) dorsal finHighly social; complex language with distinct dialects

between different podsBehaviors include “spyhopping”, to raise their head

above water to see prey

Killer WhalesCalf nursing (notice it is speckled)

Male or Female below?

Spyhopping has its benefits! (photo-

shopped!)

I got your back, bro'!

Porpoise vs DolphinPorpoise

Features

Spade shaped teeth

Triangular dorsal fin

No beak

•Dolphin Features

Cone shaped teeth

Curved dorsal fin

Often prominent beak

Whales Size Comparison