Whales, dolphins, and porpoises : a natural history and species guide

The eighty-nine cetacean species that swim our seas and rivers are as diverse as they are intelligent and elusive, from the hundred-foot-long, two-hundred-ton blue whale to the lesser-known tucuxi, ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, and diminutive, critically endangered vaquita. The huge distances these highly migratory creatures cover and the depths they dive mean we catch only the merest glimpses of their lives as they break the surface of the water. But thanks to the marriage of science and technology, we are now beginning to understand their anatomy, complex social structures, extraordinary communication abilities, and behavioral patterns. In this beautifully illustrated guide, renowned marine mammalogist Annalisa Berta draws on the contributions of a pod of fellow whale biologists to present the most comprehensive, authoritative overview ever published of these remarkable aquatic mammals. Opening with an accessible rundown of cetacean biology—including the most recent science on feeding, mating, and communication—__Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises__ then presents species-specific natural history on a range of topics, from anatomy and diet to distribution and conservation status. Each entry also includes original drawings of the species and its key identifiers, such as fin shape and color, tooth shape, and characteristic markings as they would appear both above and below water—a feature unique to this book. Figures of myth and—as the debate over hunting rages on—figures of conflict since long before the days of __Moby-Dick__, whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also ecologically important and, in many cases, threatened. Written for general enthusiasts, emergent cetacean fans, and biologists alike, this stunning, urgently needed book will serve as the definitive guide for years to come. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 7 THE BIOLOGY......Page 10 Phylogeny & Evolution......Page 11 Anatomy & Physiology......Page 17 Behavior......Page 21 Food & Foraging......Page 27 Life History......Page 33 Range......Page 41 Habitat......Page 43 Conservation & Management......Page 45 IDENTIFICATION TOOLS & MAPS......Page 48 Identification Keys......Page 49 Surface Behaviors......Page 57 How & Where to Watch......Page 61 THE SPECIES DIRECTORY......Page 64 How to Use the Species Directory......Page 65 Right Whales......Page 67 Southern Right Whale......Page 69 North Atlantic Right Whale......Page 71 North Pacific Right Whale......Page 75 Bowhead Whale......Page 77 Pygmy Right Whale......Page 79 Rorqual Whales & Gray Whale......Page 81 Gray Whale......Page 83 Common Minke Whale......Page 87 Antarctic Minke Whale......Page 89 Sei Whale......Page 91 Bryde's Whale......Page 93 Blue Whale......Page 95 Omura's Whale......Page 99 Fin Whale......Page 101 Humpback Whale......Page 103 Oceanic Dolphins......Page 107 Commerson's Dolphin......Page 109 Chilean Dolphin......Page 111 Heaviside's Dolphin......Page 113 Hector's Dolphin......Page 115 Long-Beaked Common Dolphin......Page 117 Short-Beaked Common Dolphin......Page 119 Pygmy Killer Whale......Page 121 Short-Finned Pilot Whale......Page 123 Long-Finned Pilot Whale......Page 125 Risso's Dolphin......Page 127 Fraser's Dolphin......Page 129 Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin......Page 131 White-Beaked Dolphin......Page 133 Peale's Dolphin......Page 135 Hourglass Dolphin......Page 137 Pacific White-Sided Dolphin......Page 139 Dusky Dolphin......Page 141 Northern Right Whale Dolphin......Page 143 Southern Right Whale Dolphin......Page 145 Irrawaddy Dolphin......Page 147 Australian Snubfin Dolphin......Page 149 Killer Whale......Page 151 Melon-Headed Whale......Page 153 False Killer Whale......Page 155 Tucuxi......Page 157 Guiana Dolphin......Page 159 Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin......Page 161 Indian Humpback Dolphin......Page 163 Australian Humpback Dolphin......Page 165 Atlantic Humback Dolphin......Page 167 Pantropical Spotted Dolphin......Page 169 Clymene Dolphin......Page 171 Striped Dolphin......Page 173 Atlantic Spotted Dolphin......Page 175 Spinner Dolphin......Page 177 Rough-Toothed Dolphin......Page 179 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin......Page 181 Common Bottlenose Dolphin......Page 183 Sperm Whales......Page 185 Sperm Whale......Page 187 Pygmy Sperm Whale......Page 191 Dwarf Sperm Whale......Page 193 Narwhal & Beluga......Page 195 Narwhal......Page 197 Beluga......Page 201 Beaked Whales......Page 205 Arnoux's Beaked Whale......Page 207 Baird's Beaked Whale......Page 209 Northern Bottlenose Whale......Page 211 Southern Bottlenose Whale......Page 213 Longman's Beaked Whale......Page 215 Sowerby's Beaked Whale......Page 217 Andrew's Beaked Whale......Page 219 Hubbs' Beaked Whale......Page 221 Blainville's Beaked Whale......Page 223 Gervais' Beaked Whale......Page 225 Ginko-Toothed Beaked Whale......Page 227 Gray's Beaked Whale......Page 229 Hector's Beaked Whale......Page 231 Deraniyagala's Beaked Whale......Page 233 Strap-Toothed Whale......Page 235 True's Beaked Whale......Page 237 Perrin's Beaked Whale......Page 239 Pygmy Beaked Whale......Page 241 Stejneger's Beaked Whale......Page 243 Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale......Page 245 Shepherd's Beaked Whale......Page 247 Cuvier's Beaked Whale......Page 249 River Dolphins......Page 251 Baiji......Page 253 Franciscana......Page 255 Amazon River Dolphin......Page 257 Ganges River Dolphin......Page 259 Porpoises......Page 261 Narrow-Ridged Finless Porpoise......Page 263 Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise......Page 265 Spectacled Porpoise......Page 267 Harbor Porpoise......Page 269 Vaquita......Page 271 Burmeister's Porpoise......Page 273 Dall's Porpoise......Page 275 APPENDICES......Page 277 Classification of Cetaceans......Page 278 Glossary......Page 279 Resources......Page 283 Notes on Contributors......Page 284 Index......Page 287 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 289 The eighty-nine cetacean species that swim our seas and rivers are as diverse as they are intelligent and elusive, from the hundred-foot-long, two-hundred-ton blue whale to the lesser-known tucuxi, ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, and diminutive, critically endangered vaquita. The huge distances these highly migratory creatures cover and the depths they dive mean we catch only the merest glimpses of their lives as they break the surface of the water. But thanks to the marriage of science and technology, we are now beginning to understand their anatomy, complex social structures, extraordinary communication abilities, and behavioral patterns. In this beautifully illustrated guide, renowned marine mammalogist Annalisa Berta draws on the contributions of a pod of fellow whale biologists to present the most comprehensive, authoritative overview ever published of these remarkable aquatic mammals. Opening with an accessible rundown of cetacean biology—including the most recent science on feeding, mating, and communication— Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises then presents species-specific natural history on a range of topics, from anatomy and diet to distribution and conservation status. Each entry also includes original drawings of the species and its key identifiers, such as fin shape and color, tooth shape, and characteristic markings as they would appear both above and below water—a feature unique to this book. Figures of myth and—as the debate over hunting rages on—figures of conflict since long before the days of Moby-Dick , whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also ecologically important and, in many cases, threatened. Written for general enthusiasts, emergent cetacean fans, and biologists alike, this stunning, urgently needed book will serve as the definitive guide for years to come.