Little sperm whale (small sperm whale) - Little sperm whale

Japanese: コマッコウ(小抹香) - コマッコウ

A general term for mammals belonging to the genus Kogia in the family Sperm Whale of the suborder Toothed Cetacea. There are two species: K. breviceps (pygmy sperm whale) and K. simus (dwarf sperm whale). Both are found in temperate to tropical seas. The former species has a body length of 3.2m and a small dorsal fin. The latter reaches 2.6m and has a high and prominent dorsal fin. The head is cylindrical and protrudes forward beyond the lower jaw. Like the sperm whale, it has a recess on the top of the skull surrounded by the upper jaw and a thin lower jaw, but differs from the sperm whale in that all seven cervical vertebrae are fused together.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

歯クジラ亜目マッコウクジラ科コマッコウ属Kogiaに属する哺乳類の総称。コマッコウK.breviceps(英名pygmy sperm whale)とオガワコマッコウK.simus(英名dwarf sperm whale)の2種がある。いずれも温帯から熱帯の海に分布する。前種は体長3.2mで背びれが小さい。後者は2.6mに達し，背びれは高く目立つ。頭部は円柱状で下あごより前に突き出す。マッコウクジラに似て頭骨上面に上顎骨で囲まれた凹所を有し，下あごも細いが，7個の頸椎は全部融合している点はマッコウクジラと異なる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Komatsushima [city] - Komatsushima

>>: Komatsu stone