Translations:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Cetaceans/35/en

Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whales

There are three species in the sperm whale family, including the largest toothed predator in the world and smallest whale in the world. A common characteristic of these species is the spermaceti, a semi-liquid waxy white substance filling the 'case' or spermaceti organ in the whale's head, which is thought to be involved in providing ballast for diving and maintaining buoyancy. This may be done by flushing cold water through the nose, hardening the spermaceti, to dive, and pumping warm blood to melt the spermaceti to surface. All three species dive to great depths to find food, although the sperm whale is believed to dive much deeper than either of its smaller cousins. Sperm whales eat squid, fish, and even sharks. Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Species Account/Physeter macrocephalus Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Species Account/Kogia breviceps