Physeteroidea

views updated

Physeteroidea (order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti) A superfamily that comprises the families Ziphiidae (beaked and bottle-nosed whales) and Physeteridae (sperm whales), mammals capable of diving to great depths (2000 m in the case of sperm whales). The head contains a reservoir filled with spermaceti.

More From encyclopedia.com