The sperm whale is a huge marine mammal. He is the only living representative of this family. The sperm whale is very different from other representatives of cetaceans. Long time little was known about these unique creatures, since only modern technologies allow them to be observed in the depths. Until recently, this species was on the verge of extinction, since active fishing for them ceased only at the beginning of the 20th century. A sperm whale tooth is very valuable. In addition, animals were mercilessly destroyed to obtain spermaceti, ambergris and blubber. Sperm whale fat is less valuable.
The sperm whale is a huge marine mammal
Catching cetaceans was considered an extremely dangerous activity, since the animals have a bad temper, therefore, when wounded, they became very aggressive and could not only kill fishermen, but also sink whaling ships. However, even a sperm whale tooth was valued as an ornamental material, so these creatures were actively exterminated. It is believed that the number of sperm whales currently does not exceed 300-400 thousand heads.
Sperm whales have long attracted the attention of scientists with their unique appearance. These creatures have pronounced sexual dimorphism, that is, representatives of different sexes are not difficult to identify. Males are usually larger in size. The body length, as a rule, is about 20 m. At the same time, their weight can reach more than 50 tons. Females are much smaller. Their body length usually does not exceed 15 m. Body weight varies from 17 to 20 tons. This difference between the sexes is due to the characteristics of life. Among other things, representatives of different sexes have significantly different head shapes and the number of teeth. Sperm whales are difficult to confuse with other representatives of cetaceans. These animals have a characteristic large rectangular head. This is explained by the fact that it is in this part of the body that the spermaceti sac is located. The organ has a complex structure, consisting of two cavities filled with a specific substance. This bag takes up about 90% of the volume of the animal's huge head.
It is currently unknown why the whale needs spermaceti. Some scientists believe that since this substance hardens when cooled and acquires a different density, which directly affects the buoyancy of the animal. As is known, these unique whales can dive to a depth of up to 2 thousand meters. In addition, there is a theory that this sac and the spermaceti that permeates the whale’s fat layer play an important role in the process of obtaining information using echolocation. In addition, some researchers believe that the sperm whale may need this substance for shock absorption and to prevent the animal from receiving serious damage during fights between males during the mating season.
The fat layer of these whales can reach more than 1 m. Sperm whales have unique lungs. They can hold their breath for 90 minutes. In addition, as they descend to depth, the lungs can shrink to 10% of their original volume under the influence of water pressure, without the animal dying. The sperm whale brain deserves special attention. The creatures have it more than other representatives of cetaceans. It is difficult to judge the mental abilities of this animal, but many researchers note that sperm whales are characterized by extreme variability in behavioral attitudes. In certain situations they can act differently. It is believed that this creature received the nickname “killer whale” precisely because it acted unpredictably during an attack by people.
The skeleton of the sperm whale reveals its membership in the family of mammals and indicates that the ancient ancestors of this animal once roamed the earth. The sperm whale's mouth can open almost 90°. In addition, the huge teeth of the sperm whale are of particular concern to people. The jaws are strewn with them heterogeneously. Each sperm whale tooth fits into a specially designated recess. Usually there are from 20 to 26 pairs of them on the lower one, and only 1-2 on the upper one. In females they are usually smaller in size. Any sperm whale tooth can reach a weight of 1 kg.
The body of the sperm whale is covered with smooth dark blue skin. The albino sperm whale, or white whale, is extremely rare. The nasal opening is located on the whale's back. Despite the fact that the giant sperm whale weighs a lot, it is capable of reaching high speeds of up to 40 km/h. This is possible thanks to a huge tail, a small fin on the back and short but very wide fins on the chest. It is known that these animals have a complex multi-chamber stomach, allowing them to receive the maximum possible amount nutrients. In addition, the whale’s intestines, the length of which can be 15-18 times the length of the body of the entire creature, helps the whale extract as many useful compounds as possible. Despite the fact that the description of this animal was given at the beginning of the 20th century, many points concerning its anatomy are poorly understood.
Gallery: sperm whale whale (25 photos)
Sperm whale hunting for squid (video)
Lifestyle of sperm whales
These creatures are remarkable in many ways because they usually lead a herd lifestyle. In the 18th century, schools were discovered, the number of individuals in which was about 1 thousand whales. Nowadays, even herds of more than 250 whales are rare. These creatures are very good predators. A sperm whale tooth usually gets:
- squid;
- fish;
- octopus;
- cuttlefish.
It is not known exactly how much food this creature can eat at once. Animals often swallow plastic objects, which has a very negative impact on their digestive system. If the intestines become completely clogged, the animal may die. Despite the fact that this creature can eat fish, the sperm whale does so reluctantly. Squid is his favorite food. It is behind them that sperm whales descend to considerable depths, where their victims gather in large schools. Despite the fact that sperm whales have teeth, they usually swallow the squid whole. In the stomachs of these whales there were also extremely large specimens these cephalopods.
Despite the fact that in different regions When cutting sperm whales, a very large squid was found in their stomachs, but the largest was found in a caught whale off the coast of southern Australia. This specimen became widely known as it reached more than 2.5 m in length and weighed about 110 kg. Sperm whales are found wherever squid are common.
They are divided into northern and southern populations. Usually only males regularly make long migrations from the equator to northern latitudes, while females prefer to lag behind in warm waters temperate zone. These creatures don't stick to certain things. established rules completing migration. They can swim in the ocean for a long time, and the direction can often change. It is believed that this behavior is the result of these creatures searching for food.
Sperm whale behavior during the breeding season
Only in mating season males rush to the equator, where females and young animals gather in herds. Such flocks can reach more than 50 individuals. Males often engage in fights with other members of their sex for the right to be with the harem throughout the entire breeding season. Thus, one adult strong male can become the father of 10-30 cubs. During courtship, these whales make loud clicks and crackles. These sounds can be heard over a very long distance. The female remains pregnant for 14 to 16 months.
After the calf appears, she is forced to stay with it in the warm equatorial waters and feed it rich milk. Typically, females remain in herds and jointly raise their young. This also allows for fairly high level survival of young animals. Females feed calves for 2 years. Even after this, young individuals remain in the herd. Typically, young females reach sexual maturity at approximately 8-14 years of age. Males usually need at least 18 years of age to begin taking part in the fight for the right to procreate.
The most dangerous animals (video)
Adult sperm whales have virtually no enemies in their natural environment, since no other predator can compare with them in size and strength. However, young individuals that stray from the mother herd often become victims of killer whales, which, acting together, can kill the calf. Others natural enemies Sperm whales do not.
Currently, little is known about the diseases that affect these huge animals. However, there is evidence that among the common causes of death of adult sperm whales, the leading place is occupied by:
- myocardial infarction:
- atherosclerosis;
- necrosis of bone tissue;
- stomach ulcers.
It is believed that most of these huge creatures suffer from severe helminthic infestations. In females, giant roundworms that reach more than 8 meters in length are often found in the placenta. The skin of a whale can be severely infested with various crustaceans. They do not cause significant damage, but increase the energy costs of movement in water, as they reduce the flow of the skin. In addition, clinging fish are often found on the sides of sperm whales.
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Males - 50 -70 tons, and females up to 30 tons.
General information
This is a marine animal related to mammals. He is the only representative of his family.
It is classified as a herd animal. Groups can reach up to hundreds or thousands of heads. The main enemies are people who are hunting for his organs. Often, these individuals, even wounded, are capable of sinking a whaling ship.
They inhabit mainly the World Ocean. Females live in subtropical zone, and males migrate reaching north to the Bering and Barents Seas, and from the south to Antarctica.
They feed mainly on squid and octopus.
Dimensions and weight
The head makes up 1/3 of the entire body. There is a cushion of spermaceti on it that weighs 6 tons. There are two options for its purpose. The first assumes that it is an echolocator. And the second compares it to a swim bladder.
Males grow up to 20 m and weigh up to 50 tons, or even more. Females reach 13 m and weigh 30 tons. Individuals also differ in head shape, build, number of teeth, etc.
The sperm whale is considered a giant among toothed whales. He grows all his life. There are known individuals that weigh 39 tons at 13 meters. There is evidence of males weighing up to 100 tons.
Scientists weighed the organs of the sperm whale, which reached a length of 16 m. It was found that the weight of the heart was 160 kg, the kidneys - 400, the lungs - 376, the brain - 36, the digestive tract - 126, and the liver - 1000 kg. The brain and intestines are the largest of all animals. And the heart measures one meter by one meter.
The weight of one tooth reaches 1 kg, there are thirty pairs in total. Although they are practically not used. After all, the structure of the muzzle allows it to suck in prey.
There is a legend that the squid that sperm whales hunt left traces of suckers with a diameter of 20 cm. In Antarctica, when the stomach of an individual weighing forty tons was opened, a live squid weighing 200 kg was discovered. Its tentacles were visible from the mouth of the sperm whale. They are tightly attached to the individual's head.
Classification
View: Sperm whale
Family: Sperm whales (Physeteridae Gray, 1821)
Squad: Cetaceans
Class: Mammals
Type: Chordata
Dimensions: Body length – 15 - 20 m; weight – 35 - 45 tons
Lifespan: 50 - 70 years
Characteristic
The sperm whale in the photo is easily recognizable by its massive head and prominent rounded forehead.
His brain is larger than the brain of any creature that has ever lived on Earth.
Their head also contains large amounts of a substance called spermaceti. The sperm sac is equal to 90% of the weight of a whale's head.
Scientists still do not understand the functions of spermaceti. There are several theories.
The liquid, which hardens as it cools, helps the whale change its buoyancy, so it can dive up to 1,000 meters in search of squid.
These giant mammals are able to hold their breath for up to 90 minutes during such dives.
It is believed that spermaceti plays an important role in the echolocation of whales, and the sac can also serve to absorb shock during contractions during the mating season.
Appearance
Compared to other whales, the sperm whale has a very unique body and is unlikely to be confused with other whale species.
Whales have a huge, square forehead, small, inconspicuous eyes, and a long, narrow lower jaw.
They have one blowhole located on the left side of the forehead.
The lower jaw is filled with cone-shaped teeth that fit into the rosettes of the upper jaw.
Their skin color varies from light brown to blue-gray, sometimes black, and the skin itself is ribbed over much of the body, especially on the back and sides.
To aid in swimming, sperm whales have small paddle-shaped lateral fins and a large caudal fin.
Unlike other aquatic giants, sperm whales do not have a dorsal fin, but instead they have several small humps and one large hump that together resemble a dorsal fin.
Key Features
- The sperm whale, the photo clearly demonstrates this fact, has disproportionately small eyes. Therefore, they believed that they did not see particularly well. And indeed, blind sperm whales were caught in full health with food in their stomachs. Instead of looking, sperm whales are thought to use echolocation to find their prey and navigate their environment. The animal's hearing abilities are unknown.
- These whales produce intense clicks, sometimes entire series. These sounds can be used for communication or echolocation.
- Sperm whales can live up to 50 - 70 years. They die more often from natural causes. They dont have natural enemies. True, sometimes they are attacked by pods of killer whales.
- Other threats: fishing nets, water pollution from oil waste, ship collisions, global warming.
- Since the sperm whale is a marine mammal, it requires oxygen to breathe. The fluid coming out of the spout is normal water that accumulates around the external blowhole and does not enter the lungs.
- These marine mammals inhale/exhale on average 3 - 7 times per minute, depending on activity. During deep dives, and it can reach its habitat, the sperm whale can hold its breath for 90 minutes!
- Representatives of this species are among the deepest diving marine mammals in the world.
Interesting! Sperm whales and giant squids are mortal enemies. There are many stories of terrible battles between these two massive animals. And they even found the remains of a giant squid in the stomach of a whale.
Nutrition
The standard diet for sperm whales typically consists of medium to large squid, octopus and fish.
Because of these whales' love of diving, it is difficult to gather information about their specific hunting methods or the exact foods they consume.
Therefore, most of what is known about their diet comes from studying the stomachs and intestines of these marine mammals.
Males dive to 1,200 m, and females to 1,000 m.
Giant squid make up about 80% of the diet of sperm whales and the remaining 20% consists of octopus, fish, shrimp, crabs and even small bottom-dwelling sharks.
These toothed whales eat about one ton (907 kg) per day of fish and squid, or about 3% of their body weight.
Sperm whales are known to have 20 - 26 teeth on each side of the lower jaw. The teeth on the upper jaw are not used for hunting or eating food.
While the lower ones help with capturing prey. Even with teeth, these whales usually swallow food without biting or tearing the flesh of their prey.
It is assumed that the teeth of the sperm whale, as the photo shows them, are not necessary for survival.
In fact, sperm whales that had completely lost their teeth were completely healthy and eating normally, despite the circumstances.
There is a theory why sperm whales have teeth, but do not use them for food or hunting.
As sperm whales evolved, they developed various hunting techniques for survival that did not require the use of teeth.
Thus, over millions of years, their teeth hardly developed while other physiological components continued to evolve and flourish, which helped these marine mammals survive.
Lifestyle and reproduction
While males can wander alone or move from one group to another.
Females and calves remain in tropical or subtropical waters throughout the year, and appear to practice general childcare.
Males migrate to more high latitudes, alone or in groups, and return to the equator to breed.
Driven by the joy of a happy meeting, they can reach speeds of up to 37 kilometers per hour.
Interesting! Sperm whale herds are organized in a "harem" system, similar to elephant herds, where a single male sperm whale has 10 to 40 adult females plus their calves (of both sexes). Males sometimes fight to gain control of the harem by biting and pushing their opponent. Females can help this process by driving away old males.
A group can also consist of 2 - 6 adult males who have formed a temporary bond.
Communication between individuals involves a series of clicking sounds that are extremely loud and clear.
They can be heard over long distances. These clicks are among the loudest sounds known among animals.
Unfortunately, not much is known about their meaning.
The breeding season is mid-summer.
Females are fertile when they reach approximately 8.5 m in length, which occurs between 7 and 14 years of age.
While male sperm whales are not able to mate until they have grown to 11.9 m, that is, up to 18 years.
The gestation period usually lasts 14 - 16 months.
After the birth of the baby, the female feeds him with milk from the mammary glands, which she shoots in the water.
Interesting! Unlike other whale species, a baby sperm whale is not tied strictly to its biological mother for feeding and may feed from other females in the group. Females nurse their calves for two years or longer.
Young animals remain with the mother herd until they reach the age of 5 – 20 years, after which they can separate and migrate on their own.
The sperm whale spends most of its time underwater, but sometimes it pleases the human eye with graceful jumps from the water
Despite huge losses in population due to previous hunting and whaling over the years, sperm whales are quite numerous today.
However, due to big size and their features sea life these whales are not kept in captivity.
Sperm whale: a huge monster from the ocean floor
Did you know that the sperm whale has its own harem, and its brain is 5 times larger than a human brain? Description, characteristics and many interesting details about these animals.
The sperm whale is the only modern representative of the sperm whale family in nature. These whales have a huge rectangular head in which the spermaceti sac is located. Among other large cetaceans, the sperm whale is distinguished by a number of unique anatomical features. For your attention 31 interesting fact about sperm whales.
- The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale. Adult males weigh about 50 tons and reach 20 meters in length. They grow throughout life.
- Females grow up to 15 meters in length with a body weight of 20 tons. Sperm whales have well-defined sexual dimorphism. In addition to the fact that females are smaller than males, they also have a different body type, number of teeth and head shape.
- The first scientific description of the sperm whale was given by Carl Linnaeus.
- A third of the sperm whale's body is the head, so it is difficult to confuse it with other cetaceans.
- The color of the skin of sperm whales varies from blue to dark gray. The color often contains brown tones. Some males have yellow or white spots near their fins. Researchers have also recorded sightings of albino sperm whales.
- In sperm whales, the skin on the belly can reach a thickness of 50 cm.
- Sperm whale teeth are valuable bone. During the time of whale hunting, they served as an expensive ornamental material, which was valued on a par with walrus tusk and mammoth ivory.
- One whale tooth can weigh up to 2 kg.
- Among all mammals, sperm whales have the largest brain. Its weight is approximately 8 kg.
- Sperm whales have a unique formation in their heads - a spermaceti sac (fat pad). The weight of this transparent liquid can reach 5 tons. Spermaceti is a waxy substance that hardens when exposed to air. Sperm whale wax is used in the pharmaceutical and perfume industries.
- Sperm whales lack olfactory organs, but they have unsurpassed hearing. Whales find food using ultrasonic echolocation (similar to bats).
- Sperm whales live in herds. They unite in groups of several hundred and sometimes thousands of heads. Whales hunt collectively and migrate to warmer latitudes in winter. Very old sperm whales usually stay solitary.
- Spermaceti whales make 3 types of sounds - crackling, groaning and clicking. The sperm whale's voice is very loud, sounds reach 115 dB. Whales from different groups use various sound markers. Scientists believe that there are several dialects in the “language” of these animals.
- Sperm whales swim at a speed of about 7 km/hour. Compared to baleen whales, it's slow. Researchers note that sperm whales can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h if they are frightened by something.
- The largest toothed whales have a unique structure internal organs. The structure of the sperm whale's intestines is greatly simplified, but its length reaches 160 m. Stomach sea giant holds 500 liters of liquid.
- A solid substance forms in the digestive tract of male sperm whales gray- ambergris. This is a valuable product (fragrant substance) that is used in the production of perfumes. Ambergris makes high-quality fragrance fixatives.
- During the period of active whaling, people hunted sperm whales not only for spermaceti, ambergris and teeth. The main product of the sperm whale fishery was fat. People also used whale meat. It was not consumed as food due to its sharp unpleasant odor, the meat served as a raw material for feeding dogs and animals with valuable fur.
- Tapeworms up to 30 m long live in the intestines of the sperm whale.
- The sperm whale can stay underwater longer than any other mammal. Researchers recorded the whale staying underwater for 1 hour and 52 minutes. In addition, animals can dive to depths of up to 2500 meters at a pressure of 100 atmospheres.
- The respiratory functions of sperm whales are performed by left nostril. It is located in the front of the head on the left. Right nostril thanks to a special valve, it only lets air in, but does not let it out.
- Sperm whales are excellent divers, but also excellent jumpers. They can jump out of the water completely.
- Sperm whales sleep, unlike smaller cetaceans. These whales have a period of continuous deep sleep. It lasts about 10 minutes. During sleep, sperm whales hover motionless in an upright position in the water column with their noses directed towards the surface. Scientists have found that in sleeping sperm whales, both hemispheres of the brain stop active activity at the same time.
- The largest toothed whales are polygamous by nature. During the breeding season, about one male who has reached sexual maturity keeps a whole harem of 10-15 females. Males become sexually mature at the age of 23-25 years, females at the age of 15-17 years. Whales not involved in breeding are kept separately.
- The female sperm whale carries the calf for 16-17 months. Only one baby is born. Newborn whales weigh almost a ton and can reach 4 meters in length. Milk feeding lasts one year. The mammary glands of a female sperm whale can contain up to 45 liters of milk.
- The lifespan of sperm whales is 40-50 years.
- Among the causes of natural death of spermaceti whales, scientists name myocardial infarction, stomach ulcers and bone necrosis.
- Like others large whales, sperm whales become overgrown with various crustaceans. However, they do absolutely no harm to the body of giant mammals.
- The diet of sperm whales includes cephalopods (octopus and squid) and fish (small sharks, rays, sea bass, salmon gobies). These animals eat and giant squid sometimes reaching 10 m in length. For such large prey, whales dive to a depth of 2 kilometers. An adult male needs to eat approximately 1 ton of food per day.
- Sometimes in organized groups of 10-15 individuals. Whales show cooperation by collectively driving prey to one place.
- Along with large species, dwarf sperm whales are also found. They grow no more than 4 meters in length and weigh about 400 kg.
- Natural enemies in natural environment Spermaceti whales have virtually no habitat. Only killer whales pose a potential danger. They can attack baby sperm whales.
Many people think that the largest animal on the planet is the elephant, but this is not entirely true. The elephant is the most great representative animals on land, but in the water another creature can compete with it, and its name is whale. In fact, a whale is not a fish, but a mammal. Moreover, it breathes air, like land animals, and therefore cannot remain under water all the time, and occasionally the whale needs to surface to get more oxygen into its lungs. And one of the largest whales is the sperm whale.
Like all mammals, whales are born fully formed individuals. As you grow older baby whale being fed milk, which, by the way, is much more nutritious than cow meat, and, accordingly, helps whales achieve large sizes. The disadvantage of sperm whales is that when they appear on land, they are practically helpless, and most cases when a whale washes up on the shore end very badly.
The sperm whale is truly the king and ruler of the seas. Due to its huge size it the animal has practically no enemies, with the exception of man. The size of a sperm whale ranges from 20 to 22 meters in length; in comparison, 18 elephants can easily fit on the back of such a handsome creature. That is why many are interested in the question of what the sperm whale eats.
Toothed whales
Toothed whales are one of the most common species of whales on the planet. They are basically small mammals that feed exclusively on other living things; simply put, they are carnivores. These mammals are small in size, with the exception of the sperm whale, which almost the same size as the largest one blue whale . The word "sperm whale" comes from Portuguese language and means "big head". The sperm whale is the only representative of its species and actually has a very large head. They have the following features:
- They live mainly in herds of 80–100 animals and are considered very collective animals.
- In and under water, sperm whales reach speeds of about 50 km/h.
- Although the sperm whale breathes with its lungs, it can dive to a depth of up to 3000 km, this opportunity is given to it by its subcutaneous fat saving a toothed whale from the cold or high pressure. This animal dives to such depths to treat itself to its favorite delicacy - giant squid.
Sperm whale nutrition
Everyday nutrition consists of different products:
- various shellfish;
- octopuses;
- Favorite dish: giant squid.
Squid is the easiest food for a whale to eat, since the size of the prey is usually at least 15 meters in length. Also these whales eat fish, but not often, only in the case when you don’t really have to choose. As a percentage, about 5% will come from fish consumption.
You need to understand that the sperm whales, photos of which are presented in the article, dive very deep for a reason. They are not interested in food floating on the surface, e.g. the whale will not even chase the squids located above, and go down after them to a depth of at least 500 meters. This behavior is caused by the fact that there are many competitors at the top, and the sperm whale is not used to chasing food and sharing it with someone.
Hunting
Sperm whales use ultrasonic echolocation to find food. This type of hunting is determined by the fact that the sound emitted by the whale leads to the insanity of giant mollusks. The spermaceti sac works as an acoustic lens here, which helps the whale detect prey. Let's return to the sperm whale's favorite delicacy - giant squid.
To swallow the treasured prey, the whale will have to try hard, namely fight with a huge opponent. Sperm whales and squids are almost equal in length, and very often in a fight one will definitely kill the other. The body is usually left with huge scars from the squid's tentacles. It is because of them that many animals swim with huge dents or cuts on their faces.
There is a known case when an almost dead squid was taken out of the stomach of a sperm whale. He grabbed the sperm whale with his tentacles and got stuck in his throat in this position. By the way, the weight of this opponent was almost 200 kilograms.
Sperm whales are huge carnivorous whales
Reproduction
Just like in humans, female sperm whales mature before males by exactly 1 year, namely, at 4 years they are ready to reproduce. It often happens that the male can for a long time stay away from the female and appear nearby only at the moment of mating. Males are polygamous and behind each such whale there can be up to 15 females. The baby whale is gestated for about 18 months, and females can usually give birth at any time of the year, with the exception of representatives of the northern hemisphere, which give birth in June - September. A baby whale is born weighing about 1 ton, and almost immediately begins to be suckled by the female.
History of origin
According to the theory, more than 70–75 million years ago, the ancestors of modern sperm whales lived on land. Their body was covered with fur, and instead of today's fins, they had ordinary limbs. Gradually animals moved closer to the water, where they escaped from large quantity predators and other animals. Then they finally moved into the water, where they changed in size, got rid of their fur and became similar to modern whales.
In connection with active fighter activity in the 18th–19th centuries. whales became an endangered species, and soon a moratorium on their hunting was introduced, preventing them from being caught for any purpose. However, they are still at risk from being hit by passing ships, being contaminated by oil refineries, or being washed ashore.