Cetacea
Sign in to saveCetaceans are marine mammals belonging to the infraorder Cetacea (), a secondarily aquatic clade under the order Artiodactyla that include whales, dolphins, porpoises and extinct groups such as Basilosaurus. Most cetaceans live in marine environments, particularly the pelagic zone, but some reside solely in brackish or fresh water. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of Earth's oceans. Many species migrate seasonally over vast ranges for food advantages.
AI overview
Cetaceans are marine mammals that include whales, dolphins, and porpoises, living in oceans worldwide and in some rivers and freshwater habitats. They matter because they are a major group of large aquatic animals that migrate across vast distances and play significant roles in their marine ecosystems.
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Article
58 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Baleen whales and toothed whales
- Anatomy
- Head
- Skeleton
- Fluke
- Physiology
- Brain
- Senses
- Vision
- Chemical senses
- Electroreception
- Echolocation
- Ears
- Circulation
- Respiration
- Abdominal organs
- Chromosomes
- Ecology
- Range and habitat
- Whale migration
- Behaviour
- Sleep
- Diving
- Social relations
- Whale song
- Hunting
- Intelligence
- Decision-making
- Life history
- Reproduction and brooding
- Suckling
- Lifespan
- Death
- Disease
- Evolution
- Fossil history
- Origins
- Transition from land to sea
- Marine animals
- External phylogeny
- Internal phylogeny
- Threats
- Whaling
- Fishing
- Strandings
- Environmental hazards
- Relationship to humans
- Research history
- Culture
- Middle Ages to the 19th century
- Modern culture
- Captivity
- Belugas
- Orcas
- Others
- References
- External links
Cetaceans are marine mammals belonging to the infraorder Cetacea (), a secondarily aquatic clade under the order Artiodactyla that include whales, dolphins, porpoises and extinct groups such as Basilosaurus. Most cetaceans live in marine environments, particularly the pelagic zone, but some reside solely in brackish or fresh water. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of Earth's oceans. Many species migrate seasonally over vast ranges for food advantages.
Key characteristics of cetaceans are their fully aquatic life cycle, streamlined, fish-like body shape, the need to periodically surface and breathe air, and exclusively carnivorous diet. All extant cetaceans are capable of echolocation.