Life in the oceans is diverse and rich. There is even in the vast and gloomy depths of the waters, covered in mystery and mysteries. The animal world of this amazing kingdom is 160 thousand species of the most diverse living creatures. The article talks about the dwarf sperm whale (photo is presented below) - an amazing and rare mammal, the dimensions of which, at first glance, do not match its name.
Habitat
In the waters of the tropics and subtropics of the three oceans (Atlantic, Indian and Pacific) dwarf sperm whales live. This species is almost impossible to see near the sea surface. Most of the time these mammals spend at a depth of 400-1000 meters. They come up only in order to get a supply of oxygen.
This population has the status of a rare species with a high density in certain areas of the oceans. Their exact numbers are unknown. Occasionally, individual representatives of this species are thrown ashore. Experts still cannot determine the reason for this phenomenon.
general description
Dwarf sperm whale - aquatic mammal of the order of toothed whales. The animal is quite rare and poorly understood. It looks more like a dolphin in the shape of its body. The weight of an adult can reach 300 kilograms, body length - 3 meters. Sperm whale has a beautiful color: along the back there is a wide dark blue or steel-colored strip; fins have a color to match the back, and the sides are much lighter. The belly and mouth are pinkish in color, and the back and sides are bluish-gray. Behind the eyes of the sperm whale there are gray or whitish stripes of a crescent shape, the so-called false gills. The fountain produced by this type of sperm whale is low and almost imperceptible.
The size of the sperm whale is not much superior to dolphins. Body length at birth is just over one meter. By the end of life, the mammal reaches 3.5 meters in length and weighs 400 kg. Males are slightly larger than females. The size of the head of the sperm whale is 15% of the whole body.
In the forehead there is a spermaceti sac, which is found in all types of sperm whales. It is a sponge tissue saturated with animal fat. The small fin has a hooked shape. The pectoral fins are wide. Teeth, the number of which varies between 20-32, grow only on the lower jaw.
The peculiarity of this animal is that it has a bag in the intestine where the liquid is dark red in color. In case of danger, the sperm whale releases it, thereby disorienting the attacking predator.
Habitat and lifestyle
Dwarf sperm whale, as a rule, keeps at a great distance from the coastline. He eats crabs, shellfish and shrimp, descending to great depths. Occasionally, it rises to the surface, and sometimes lies motionless on the water, quickly leaving under the water when the vessel approaches. The lifestyle of this mammal has been little studied, therefore their number is unknown.
For humans, dwarf sperm whales do not represent nutritional value, but by chance and occasionally they fall into fishing nets. Attempts by scientists to adapt this mammal to an artificial habitat did not lead to success: the captured male lived in the aquarium only a few days.
Reproduction and longevity
As noted above, dwarf sperm whale information is very limited. It is known that females living in the seas and oceans of the Southern Hemisphere give birth in the period from April to September, and there are no reliable data on the Northern Hemisphere. Pregnancy of this species of dwarf sperm whales lasts 11 months, and only one cub is born. Its weight is 40 kilograms with a body length of one meter. Maternal feeding lasts 12 months.
It remains unknown at what age they have puberty. Life expectancy is approximately 30 years, but at the moment there is no exact information about this either.
Sperm whale baby
This mammal is one of the varieties belonging to the family of Dwarf sperm whales.
Body weight can reach 270 kilograms with a length of about 2.7 meters. Chunky, tapering to its tail, it resembles a dolphin or porpoise in its shape. The dorsal fin, located in the center of the back, is sickle-shaped and tall (about 40 cm), with a pointed apex and a wide base. The pectoral fins are rather short. The wide caudal lobes with a concave edge have a small indentation in the middle. The back is colored in a bluish or dark gray color with veins of a yellowish tint, the belly is slightly paler, occasionally with a pinkish tinge. The muzzle is slightly pointed, the length of the head is 1/6 of the body. On the forehead of a small dwarf sperm whale there is a fat bag characteristic of all types of sperm whales containing spermaceti. The number of lower teeth is from 8 to 11 (sometimes 13) pairs, the upper - 1-3 pairs. They are very sharp, long and curved.
Previously (until 1966), he belonged to the subspecies of the dwarf sperm whale. Sperm whale-baby from a related dwarfish differs only in higher dorsal fin and smaller size.
Interesting fact
Recently, residents of the island of Kunashir (Kuril Islands) discovered a dwarf sperm whale thrown ashore. Earlier in the Russian Far East waters this species was not found.
He was found near the village of Goryachy Beach. Scientists identified the dwarf sperm whale by pictures of local residents. But due to the fact that information about this animal arrived too late, the reserve specialists were not able to make the necessary measurements of body size, as well as to establish the sex and age of the individual.