Physeteridae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 503 words | Copyright

Physeteridae (sperm whales; suborder Odontoceti, superfamily Physeteroidea) A family of whales in which the head is blunt and more or less rectangular in shape, containing a reservoir filled with spermaceti. Functional teeth are present only in the lower jaw. Sperm whales feed on squid, fish, and Crustacea, diving deeply to do so. They are distributed throughout all oceans. There are two genera, and three species, Physeter catodon (sperm whale), and Kogia breviceps and K.simus (pygmy sperm whales).

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Physeteridae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Physeteridae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Physeteridae.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Physeteridae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Physeteridae.html

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