Friday, August 26, 2011
Types of Marine Mammals
Cetaceans differ greatly in their appearance, distribution, and behavior. The word cetacean is used to describe all whales, dolphins and porpoises in the order Cetacea. This word comes from the Latin cetus meaning "a large sea animal," and the Greek word ketos, meaning "sea monster."
There are about 86 species of cetaceans. The term "about" is used because as scientists learn more about these fascinating animals, new species are discovered or populations are re-classified.
Cetaceans range in size from the tiniest dolphin, Hector's dolphin, which is just over 39 inches long, to the largest whale, the blue whale, which can be over 100 feet long. Cetaceans live in all of the oceans and many of the major rivers of the world.
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