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16.2: Marine Vertebrates

Last updated

Feb 15, 2021
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- 16.1: Animals in the Pelagic Environment
- 16.3: Migration of Gray Whales on the West Coast

Miracosta Oceanography 101
Miracosta)

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Taxonomy of marine vertebrates include:

ORDER	Carnivora	(have prominent canine teeth)
	FAMILY	Mustelidea	• Sea otters	Among the smallest of marine mammals, range: North Pacific, largest member of the weasel family. Each carries a pebble tool to break open shells.
	FAMILY	Ursus	• Polar bears	Live in the arctic circle, primary diet of seals, lives on ice, snow, open ocean.
	FAMILY	Pinnipeds
		GENUS	• Walruses	Range is in the Arctic and subarctic in Northern Hemisphere on continental shelves. Large tusks and whiskers used for foraging for bivalves on seabed.
		GENUS	• Seals	Fin-footed ( flippers ), semi-aquatic marine mammals, 33 extant species worldwide.
		GENUS	• Sea lions	Sea lion have external ear flaps, long fore flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and are voracious eaters. Six species worldwide, except N. Atlantic.
		GENUS	• Fur seals	Similar to sea lions (smaller), 1 species in North Pacific, 7 species in S. Hemisphere; have external ear flaps, long fore flippers, ability to walk on all fours.

Examples of Marine Carnivores

Figure 16.3. Sea otter	Figure 16.4. Polar bears	Figure 16.5. Walrus	Figure 16.6. Walruses on ice.

Figure 16.7. Monk seal	Figure 16.8. Steller sea lion	Figure 16.9. Steller sea lion colony	Figure 16.10. Fur seals

ORDER	Sirenia	(Aquatic herbivores living in coastal areas)
	FAMILY	• Manatees (tropical Atlantic Ocean)
	FAMILY	• Dugongs (Indian and western Pacific Oceans)

Examples of Sirenia

Figure 16.11. Manatees	Figure 16.12. Dugong

ORDER	*Cetacea*		Cetaceans have elongated skull with blowholes on top, use echolocation: they emit click-like noises and get return—used to detect fish, and can be used to stun fish. Cetacea have large brains relative to body size; can communicate with each other, many are considered trainable.
ORDER	SUB ORDER	Odontocetes	Toothed whales:
		FAMILY	*• dolphins (Delphinidae) -* seven genera with about 40 species, worldwide
		FAMILY	*• porpoises (Phocoenidae)* - Compared with dolphins, porpoises have shorter beaks and flattened, spade-shaped teeth.
		FAMILY	• killer whales (technically a subfamily of dolphins, called "blackfish" or orcas - 6 species)
		FAMILY	• beaked whales (have prominent noses [or nose -like features] - 22 species)
		FAMILY	• Sperm whales - largest of the toothed whales, 3 species, (They use echolocation to hunt giant squid.)
	SUBORDER	Mysticeti	Baleen whales (Baleen is fibrous plates in whale mouths used to sieve prey items.)
		FAMILY	*• Right whales (Balaenidae):* 4 species live in northern oceans, mostly North Atlantic
		FAMILY (1species)	• Rorquals whales (9 species, worldwide), includes: * Blue whale - largest of all mammal species - up to 30 m (98 ft), 180 tons
		FAMILY	• Humpback whales (1 species) - found in all oceans
		FAMILY	• Gray whales (1 species) - live in coastal waters of the Northern Pacific only

Examples of Cetaceans

Figure 16.13. Dolphin	Figure 16.14. Porpoises	Figure 16.15. Killer whale	Figure 16.16. Narwhales

Figure 16.17. Sperm whale	Figure 16.18. Blue whale	Figure 16.29. Humpback whale	Figure 16.20. Atlantic right whale (baleen showing)

Taxonomy of marine vertebrates include:

Carnivora

Sirenia

Odontocetes

Mysticeti

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