Who eats whales. Lifespan of living things

Underwater, the nostrils are always closed by strong muscles. Vision Not only the body, but also the sense of vision has undergone extensive adaptation in the course of evolution. Whales are visible below as well as above the water. This is all the more surprising since light travels much slower under water. However, without physiological adaptation this was impossible. The eyes are surrounded by powerful muscles that can change the shape of the lens as needed. Whales have very large pupils to effectively use low-level light at great depths.

They can collect and process it even in low light. At the surface of the water, the eyes have narrow slits to control the amount of light. Eyes from all sides of the whale. Therefore, a front view is not possible. Objects are usually examined with only one eye. The eyes can focus on both distant objects. Dolphins especially have been found to have a wide range of colors and can recognize them as well. This is all the more surprising, especially since red and yellow are absorbed under water several meters from the environment.

However, whether whales have this ability is unknown. It has been proven that this only happens with dolphins. Smell and taste. The sense of taste is used to evaluate chemical information that dissolves in water. Water is an excellent carrier for all types of substances. Even the smallest concentrations can be perceived by the senses of smell and taste. Both the sense of smell and taste play an extremely important role in the acquisition and reproduction of prey. Unlike the sense of sight, the sense of smell and taste at the surface of the water are no longer important.

Olfactory sensory cells serve their purpose only underwater. But even within whales there are some big differences. For example, at whale whales significantly more olfactory receptors than toothed whales. However, echolocation plays a much larger role in toothed whales. Toothed whales, especially dolphins, have numerous taste buds on their tongues, which they can probably do well with. This is especially noticeable in the fact that dolphins do not eat dead fish. They are obviously testing the taste of the food.

Listening whales do not have external ears. The visible one is just a small hole just behind the eyes. Depending on the type, such a hole has a diameter of only a few millimeters. In baleen whales, the barely noticeable outer ear is closed by a horny wax plug. In such a fork, toothed whales are completely absent. The internal auditory canal is open in odontocetes and is therefore filled with water. The extent to which listening is performed is largely unexplored. There are several, sometimes very contradictory theories.

However, loss of the outer ear is unlikely to affect hearing because sound travels five times faster in water. Since sound can only last to a limited extent between water and air, it can be assumed that there is no air in the ear. Echolocation in toothed whales Echolocation works similarly bats or the Nile flying dog. Echolocation is based on the active emission of broadband pulses, also known as clicks. The echo is evaluated, which is reflected in the obstacles. Natural obstacles may be rocks or rocks, but the seabed can certainly be carnivorous and prey for animals.

Broadband pulses can consist of low-frequency and high-frequency tones. With the help of echolocation, a toothed whale, such as a dolphin, can navigate even in absolute darkness or in muddy water. Sound waves are sent from the melon to the forehead area. Inside this melon is fatty tissue that binds and emits sound waves. The rays form a more or less directional beam. The echo allows the tooth whale to determine direction, distance and even size. Even the composition can be recognized. Right whales do not have the ability to echolocate.

Magnetic meaning With whales, the question arises of how they navigate the spaces of the oceans and sometimes can swim along the same routes. It is believed to have a kind of magnetic meaning. Obviously, the directional information is evaluated by the Earth's magnetic field. Information is captured by tiny magnetite crystals in the outer tissues of the brain and evaluated by the brain itself. Together with geomagnetic anomalies, the toothed whale has a kind of map. Disruptions to this sensory strength can result in twisting.

Only a few species of whales are very loyal. Humpback whales are not sedentary animals. They migrate annually between feeding grounds and reproductive habitats in the tropics. Tropical waters are also responsible for the birth and rearing of calves. Humpback whales cover several thousand kilometers. The highest speeds are achieved during annual hikes. But gray whales also migrate annually between feeding grounds and reproductive habitats in the tropics. Gray whales cover several thousand kilometers.

Dive times vary greatly depending on the species. A humpback whale usually spends 25-30 minutes searching for food; gray whales rarely dive for more than 15 minutes. The availability of most whale species continues with forage. Killer whales go for food in groups. To do this, they use different hunting strategies depending on the kill they have made. This is discussed separately in the Food chapter. Killer whales are among the smartest marine mammals in the World Ocean. This is expressed not only in hunting methods, but also in social behavior.

Playfulness is expressed in many species of dolphins and some species of whales during certain aerial jumps. For example, some dolphins can jump several feet out of the water. The meaning of these leaps in aviation research has not existed to this day. To communicate with toothed whales, the already mentioned clicking sounds are used. Lower whales use low-frequency sounds. The North Atlantic skies produce sounds with frequencies ranging from 50 to 500 hertz. Exclamations can last from one to six seconds. When preying, they emit sounds with a frequency of two to four kilohertz.

Among all whales, the humpback whale has the most complex vocalizations. Multi-layered songs are heard especially during the mating season and mainly from the man. Scientists have discovered that songs are particularly suitable for mating. Songs can vary greatly depending on the region. It is supposed to be some kind of dialect. Vocals consist primarily of low frequencies and can be heard for many kilometers due to the high conductivity of water. Measurements have shown that the sounds of other whales can be perceived at distances of several hundred kilometers.

The songs of the northern and southern populations sound completely different. Whales are found throughout the world in all waters and aquatic areas. Arctic, Antarctic, Subarctic, Subantarctic and temperate, as well as warm temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. Many species have seasonal migrations, others are considered sessile. In general, whales are found only in salt water, but some species live in fresh water inside the country. Still others can live in brackish water. Depending on the species, important factors for whales include water temperature, salinity, water depth, seafloor topography and, of course, the availability of suitable food sources.

Cetaceans live in both the Arctic and tropical waters. In the tropics, chickens bring their offspring into the world. Their food grounds lie in cold waters. There are sometimes 000 or more kilometers between food and reproduction. Among baleen whales, only Breed's whale lives exclusively in tropical waters. Here he lives both in the open sea and near the coast. Other species, such as the North Atlantic Rumpard, live exclusively in cold waters. Dental whales are also distributed throughout the world.

Some species are found in all waters around the world, others are limited to relatively small areas of distribution. Very common is, for example, the great killer whale. It is at home in all oceans, as well as in more large seas such as the Mediterranean Sea. This includes both Arctic and tropical and subtropical regions. The same applies to the common dolphin or round-the-round dolphin. Both species are found throughout the world.

Depending on the species, whales live in pelagic waters or near the coast. Some species live in both environments. Species such as Sotalia are adapted to life in fresh water and brackish water. Sotalia is widespread with two subspecies in South America. The Guyana dolphin lives in the marine, coastal waters of Central America to the northeastern South America. Other species live exclusively in fresh water.

These include, for example, Ganges dolphins or Chinese river dolphins. The longest walks in the whale order are made by baleen whales. The main reason for trekking is food and reproductive activities. Their main diet of krill occurs only in the polar waters of the northern and southern hemispheres. In cold waters, offspring cannot be born. Therefore, baleen whales move to subtropical or tropical waters to raise their young. Hikes always take place in a north-south direction or vice versa.

Between feeding grounds and mating areas, humpback whales migrate many thousands of miles each year. They cover up to 000, in rare cases also up to a thousand kilometers along the route. Thus, humpback whales are one of the mammals with the longest walks.

Adult large whales have no natural enemies other than humans. Young animals, as well as old, sick or weakened animals, sometimes become victims of white sharks or killer whales. Smaller whales or dolphins are sometimes eaten by killer whales, tiger sharks or bull sharks.

Whale parasites are differentiated depending on the type of their diet. Some cling to the skin of the whale and remain there for life, others follow the whales at a short distance and are useful as the parasite catches the whales. These companions are also called commensals, the whale is considered the host, but the whale has no adverse or adverse effects. We can definitely call this interspecies correlation probiosis. The most obvious is the correlation between the humpback whale and shells. They stick to almost the entire body, but preferentially in the head area around the mouth.