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Great sperm whales are the biggest of all toothed whales, the males usually much larger than the females.
They travel in pods of up to fifty, composed of one or two males and a harem.
Their common name is derived from a structure in their head known as the spermaceti organ, which is filled with a liquid waxy substance often referred to as sperm oil.
It is thought that this structure helps control buoyancy during dives — recorded to depths of sixty-five hundred feet (2,000 m), but typically less than half this.
When they dive, they use sonar to search for squid, their primary food source. The spermaceti organ may also play a part in sonar reception.
Because of heavy hunting, fewer than 200,000 of the whales are estimated to remain.
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Name: Great Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon)
Family: Physeteridae (Rorquals) Range: Oceans worldwide Habitat: Temperate and tropical oceans Diet: Krill and other small crustaceans Total Length: 39 to 59 feet (12 to 18 m) Weight: 44,000 to 110,000 pounds (20,000 to 50,000 kg) Life Cycle: Mating usually January to August; gestation 450 to 480 days, usually one calf born Description: Dark gray or brown in color; ale underparts; enormous, square head; small eyes; long, narrow lower jaw with conical, round-tipped teeth; wrinkled skin; short, stubby flippers; knobs from dorsal fin to tail; triangular tail flukes Conservation Status: Vulnerable Major Threat: Human disturbance What Can I Do?: Visit The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and The Ocean Conservancy for information on how you can help. |
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