Cetaceans

Discover cetaceans, ocean-dwelling mammals like whales and dolphins! Learn their unique traits and adaptations.

Cetaceans have made the most complete transition to living in the ocean out of all marine mammals. True False Which of the following is NOT a cetacean? whale otter dolphin porpoise tail of a cetacean fluke fin on the back of a cetacean dorsal fin "nostrils" on the top of the head for breathing blowhole Mysticeti are baleen whales and odontoceti are toothed whales. Baleen is attached to the upper jaw and is used to strain food for the whale. Mysticeti have baleen instead of teeth 2 blowholes large body size and heads eat relatively small organisms Odontoceti possess teeth to grab prey 1 blowhole smaller in size have the ability to echolocate Baleen whales use their _ to help move water into and out of their mouths. fins tongue tails lungs Echolocation can be used to determine... (select all that apply) size shape distance internal structure Porpoise blunt rostrum (snout) triangle-shaped dorsal fin shape-shaped teeth Dolphin elongated rostrum (snout) sickle-shaped dorsal fin round, conical teeth Which whale has the longest migration of any mammal? blue whale humpback whale grey whale sperm whale Scientists study baleen whales by taking pictures of and comparing the fluke, whereas they use the dorsal fin for toothed whales. Differences in these structures are similar to the differences in human fingerprints. bioaccumulation An individual animal whose pollutant concentration increases over time biomagnification Pollutants magnify in strength as they are passed up the food chain. food chain A simple and linear progression of energy passed to the next trophic level when an organism is eaten food web A more complex system when many food chains are interdependent and interrelated