Smooth (real) whales are very massive, clumsy and large-headed mammals that plow the oceans of our planet. The name of their family is due to the absence of all kinds of strips and furrows on the throat and belly, which makes the body unusually smooth. Currently, the family of these giants consists of two genera and four species. The largest whale in the family of smooth cetacean giants is the Greenland whale. Consider these marine animals in more detail.
Systematization of smooth whales
Before starting the story, it would be advisable to list all members of the family. Moreover, there are not so many of them. Zoologists subdivide these marine animals into just two genera. The first - bowhead whales - is represented by a single species of the same name. The second - southern whales - is represented by three species: northern, southern and Japanese. It is curious that the genus of Greenland polar whales at the end of the Miocene and the beginning of the Pleistocene was represented by five more different species. Their fossils were found in North America and in Europe.
Family Description
As mentioned above, representatives of this family are massive and awkward giants with a huge head. In length, these animals can reach up to 18, and sometimes up to 22 meters. Their weight ranges from 30 to 100 tons. Mostly individuals are 15 meters long. The body of these whales is thick and smooth downward. They do not have any longitudinal strips and furrows, for which they were allocated to the corresponding family. The fins of these animals are short but wide, and the oral cavity is narrow but high.
Where do they live?
Representatives of the family of smooth giants live mainly in ocean waters, inhabiting the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. For example, the northern smooth whale inhabits the waters of the Atlantic. His Japanese congener can be found throughout the northern Pacific Ocean. The southern species of these cetaceans is widespread in the cold and temperate waters of the southern hemisphere of the Earth. A large whale from the smooth whale family - the polar bowhead - prefers the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Its habitat is directly related to the floating ice there.
Smooth Whale Lifestyle
Not so long ago, zoologists finally found out that representatives of this family prefer to stay alone. Rarely do they stray into groups of 4-5 individuals, but nothing more. In groups, these whales are found in places with the largest accumulation of food. Giants swim almost on the surface of the water.
Scientists describe the process of feeding smooth whales as something fascinating and unusual: during their meal they swim in a line with their mouths wide open and, like vacuum cleaners, suck in all kinds of crustaceans, plankton and other living creatures. The existing thick layer of subcutaneous fat significantly affects the heat transfer in the body of these creatures, so they never swim in tropical waters.
Smooth whales, like all other cetaceans, are live-bearing mammals. In other words, they not only give birth to living cubs, but also feed them milk! This is why it is a mistake to think that whales are fish. By the way, whale milk is 10 times more nutritious than cow's milk. That is why little kittens grow very fast.
King of the family
The Greenland polar whale is the largest of all the mammals of the family. As mentioned above, this is the only representative of the same genus. Belongs to a suborder of baleen whales. Currently, it is known for certain that the maximum body length of this giant can reach 22 meters. In this case, females are usually larger than males. The weight of these mammals ranges from 80 to 150 tons. Greenland whales are excellent divers. They can easily dive to a depth of 200 meters and stay there for up to 40 minutes. The average speed of movement of bowhead whales is 20 km / h.
A large whale from the smooth family is the record holder for life expectancy among vertebrates. It is on average 40 years, but this is far from the limit. Scientists say that individual specimens are quite alive up to 211 years! This is definitely a record!
How and what does the bowhead whale eat?
The basis of the diet of these giants is plankton - their favorite food. The Greenland polar whale prefers to eat small crustaceans (for example, calanus) and winged mollusks. Adult whales consume up to 2 tons of plankton per day! The feeding process in these animals is no different from the food of all representatives of the baleen whale suborder. The so-called whalebone helps them in this - the accumulation of special hanging plates in the mouth. One individual can have from 320 to 370 pieces. The length of each plate is up to 4.5 meters.
Like all its relatives, a large whale from the smooth family during feeding moves with its mouth open in the water column, cutting it with its powerful and massive body. He, like a giant vacuum cleaner, draws in everything that comes in his way. This is where its natural filter, the whalebone, triggers. Crustaceans settle on the giant plates of this mustache, after which they inevitably scratch their tongue and swallow. The finest structure of such plates allows the mammal to filter out crustaceans, which, due to their size, may not be accessible to other whales.
On the brink of extinction
Representatives of the cetacean family were pretty much exterminated by humans long before the whaling process improved. And all because smooth whales are easy to catch: they live in the upper water layers, stay near the coast. In addition, they are slow and slow. Unfortunately, at present, the number of these mammals leaves much to be desired. For example, the southern whale is represented by 7000 individuals, and the northern whale is represented by 300 individuals. Japanese whales in general are no more than 200 individuals.
Northern and Japanese whales are listed in the Red Book as endangered species. The population of their southern counterparts, fortunately, is gradually recovering. Such an increased interest in these giants is due to the convenience of their transportation. The fact is that a large amount of subcutaneous fat prevents the animal killed by whalers from diving into the water - the mammal remains to drift on the surface of the water.