Cetacea
| Definition: |
An order of wholly aquatic mammals occurring in all the oceans and adjoining seas of the world, as well as in certain river systems. Some cetaceans are the only animals other than elephants that have a brain larger than man's. Most have eyes well adapted to underwater vision and can also see well above water. They produce numerous underwater sounds used in echolocation. They feed generally on fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Most are gregarious and most have a relatively long period of parental care and maturation. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, pp969-70) |
| Notes: |
mammals; GEN or unspecified; prefer DOLPHINS or PORPOISES or WHALES; IM; qualif permitted |
Cetacea Categories.
 |
Dolphins - Mammals of the families Delphinidae (ocean dolphins), Iniidae, Lipotidae, Pontoporiidae, and Platanistidae (all river dolphins). The common name dolphin is applied to small cetaceans having a beaklike snout and a slender, streamlined body, whereas PORPOISES are small cetaceans with a blunt snout and rather stocky body. Dolphins are the most agile of the cetaceans and some of the speediest. They have remarkable group precision and regularity of movement. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, pp978-9) |
|
Porpoises - Mammals of the family Phocoenidae comprising four genera and six species found in the North Pacific Ocean and both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean and in various other seas. They differ from DOLPHINS in that porpoises have a blunt snout and a rather stocky body while dolphins have a beaklike snout and a slender, streamlined body. They usually travel in small groups. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, pp1003-4) |
|
Whales - Large marine mammals of the order Cetacea. In the past, they were commercially valued for whale oil, for their flesh as human food and in animal feed and fertilizer, and for baleen. The sperm whale produces AMBERGRIS, an intestinal secretion used in perfumery. (From Webster, 3d ed) |
Cetacea Definitions and Terms
MedicalGlossary.org is designed as a free, browsable resource for all. The medical terms and definitions are not intended to replace medical informaion provided by licensed healthcare professionals. Please see a doctor if you need medical assistance. Don't see the medical term you were researching? Send us an e-mail from our "about us" page. We will do our best to research and classify new medical terms in a timely manner. Our current list of medical terms is over 26,000. Data sources include the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2004 Medical Subject Headings.
|
