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Kogiidae is a family comprising at least two extant species of Cetacea, the pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm whales.As their common names suggest, they somewhat resemble sperm whales, with squared heads and small lower jaws, but are much smaller, with much shorter skulls and more notable dorsal fins than sperm whales. [2]
Size comparison between the sperm whale (blue), the pygmy sperm whale (green), and the dwarf sperm whale (orange) The dwarf sperm whale can range in size from 2 to 2.7 m (6.6 to 8.9 ft) in length and 136 to 272 kg (300 to 600 lb) in weight—less than the 4.25 m (14 ft) and 417 kg (920 lb) pygmy sperm whale.
Kogia is a genus of toothed whales within the superfamily Physeteroidea comprising two extant and two extinct species from the Neogene: Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps; Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima †Kogia pusilla, Italy, Middle Pliocene †Kogia danomurai Pisco Formation, Peru, latest Miocene
Kogia pusilla is an extinct species of sperm whale from the Middle Pliocene of Italy. related to the modern-day dwarf sperm whale (K. sima) and pygmy sperm whale (K. breviceps). It is known from a single skull discovered in 1877, and was considered a species of beaked whale until 1997. The skull shares many characteristics with other sperm ...
The Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima), like its close relative the Pygmy Sperm Whale (K. breviceps), is a rather small species (2.7 m maximum) with a chubby, discreet appearance and a mainly tropical distribution.
Two species of the related extant genus Kogia, the pygmy sperm whale K. breviceps and the dwarf sperm whale K. simus, are sometimes also placed in this family, or else are placed in their own family, the Kogiidae. [10] A summary of the classification of extant and extinct (†) taxa is: Livyatan melvillei skull. Physeteroidea, sperm whales
The sperm whale or cachalot [a] (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator.It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.
Pygmy sperm whales and dwarf sperm whales are unique among cetaceans in using a form of "ink" to evade predation in a manner similar to squid. Both species have a sac in the lower portion of their intestinal tracts that contains up to 12 liters of dark reddish-brown fluid, which can be ejected to confuse or discourage potential predators.