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- DictionarySperm whale/ˈspərm ˌwāl/
noun
- 1. a toothed whale with a massive head, typically feeding at great depths on squid, formerly valued for the spermaceti and sperm oil in its head and the ambergris in its intestines.
The sperm whale or cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.
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Jun 24, 2024 · sperm whale, (Physeter macrocephalus), the largest of the toothed whales, easily recognized by its enormous square head and narrow lower jaw. The sperm whale is dark blue-gray or brownish, with white patches on the belly.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The meaning of SPERM WHALE is a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters).
- Spermaceti and Diving Capabilities
- Whale Pods and Behavior
- Whaling Target
They have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on Earth. Their heads also hold large quantities of a substance called spermaceti. Whalers once believed that the oily fluid was sperm, but scientists still do not understand the function of spermaceti. One common theory is that the fluid—which hardens to wax when cold—helps the whale ...
Sperm whales are often spotted in groups (called pods) of some 15 to 20 animals. Pods include females and their young, while males may roam solo or move from group to group. Females and calves remain in tropical or subtropical waters all year long, and apparently practice communal childcare. Males migrate to higher latitudes, alone or in groups, an...
Sperm whales were mainstays of whaling's 18th and 19th century heyday. A mythical albino sperm whale was immortalized in Herman Melville's Moby Dick, though Ahab's nemesis was apparently based on a real animal whalers called Mocha Dick. The animals were targeted for oil and ambergris, a substance that forms around squid beaks in a whale's stomach. ...
Oct 11, 2020 · The sperm whale, also known as cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus) is a large predatory whale present in most of the world's oceans. As the inspiration for the famous novel Moby Dick, the whale's large and uniquely block-shaped head will be familiar to most.
- Shawn Laidlaw
- Cetacea
- Mammalia
- Chordata
Feb 28, 2024 · Sperm whales are the largest toothed predator. These whales consume squid, sharks, skates and fish that occupy deep ocean waters. They dive deep in their hunts for food, reaching depths of...
The sperm whale is the largest of all toothed-whale species. Its closest rival in size among toothed whales is Baird's beaked whale, which grows to about 40 feet long. Range. The sperm whale occurs throughout the world's oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea.
