Sperm Whale
| Sperm whale | |
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| Size comparison against an average human | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Suborder: | Odontoceti |
| Family: | Physeteridae |
| Genus: | Physeter |
| Species: | P. catodon |
| Binomial name | |
| Physeter catodon Linnaeus, 1758 |
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| Synonyms | |
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P. macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon) is the largest toothed whale. The Sperm whale has the biggest head of any animal; it can be about 20 feet long (6 m), and is about one-third of the whale's body. Its lower jaw is small and contains its huge, conical teeth (which fit into sockets in the upper jaw).
Diet [change]
Sperm whales are carnivores (meat-eaters) that mostly hunt medium-sized squid. They also eat many kinds of fish such as Skate, and sometimes they will hunt giant squid that live on the ocean bottom at great depths. The largest bulls (males) will sometimes even eat Colossal Squid.
Echolocation [change]
Like other toothed whales, the Sperm Whale uses echolocation, a way of sensing in which they emit high-pitched clicks and sense them as they bounce back off objects (like prey). This is crucial in hunting in the dark ocean depths.
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Wikispecies has information on: Physeter catodon. |
