Monodontidae: What are and characteristics

The monodontidae are a family of cetacean animals, that is, of Marine mammals. In turn, they belong to the group of odontocetes, which are characterized by having teeth and being predators. So that you can locate them better, they are relatives of the whales and the dolphins, but they are a separate family that is distinguished by their only characteristics, which I will present below.

We recommend reading this article, where you will learn what marine mammals are.

Monodontides have a very unusual appearance among all cetaceans. These are its characteristics:

• They lack dorsal finwhich is characteristic in dolphins.
• They have a very large front, in which they house a organ called melonwhich is formed by adipose tissue. This one has ECOLOCATOR FUNCTIONin which they send a sound to their environment that will be returned to said organ, to interpret what happens around them. This front can change shape according to the sounds they emit, which can be used to find food, detect dams or recognize structures that may hinder them. The sound travels very well in the water, and hence they have learned to depend more on this sense than on the sight, even if it is incidentally, they can also see well inside and out of the water. In this article we teach you echolocation: what is and animals that use it.
• Also generate a wide variety of audible soundswhich serve them to communicate with each other, because they are very social animals.
• They live only in the Arctic and in latitudes north of the globe. Not only are they in the seas, but some can reach the rivers that flow into open waters. In these areas they can be found near bays, estuaries, fjords, and sometimes near the bench, which is the layer of ice that floats on the Arctic seas. Here you can discover the polar ecosystem: characteristics, fauna and flora.
• They are medium -sized, 3 to 5 meters long.
• They are from gregarious habits And they like to stay together in communities of several individuals. Sometimes you can find several hundreds gathered. Here we tell you gregarism: what is, examples and characteristics.
• They feed on seabed speciessuch as mollusc or crustacean invertebrates, and some fish species.
• Being mammals, They have adapted their body to support aquatic life.
• They have pulmonary breathing And not gill like fish, but they have learned to sustain the air for long periods without the need to take a breath. Quite back, almost on their backs, they have what is equivalent to the nostrils and are called spirals.
• They have hydrodynamic shape with which seas and oceans can cross easily.
• Unlike fish, Its flow fin is not located vertically in relation to the bodybut it is horizontal with which they have a powerful propulsion towards the front.
• Under the skin they have a quite thick fat layer that serves as insulation to protect against your cold habitat. Being endoterm animals, they do not depend on external sources to regulate their body temperature.

The monodontid family only groups two species, which we present below.

Whale Beluga

Beluga, scientific name Delphinapterus Leucasmeasures 3 to 5.5 meters long. The youth are cream, and as they become adults, they change to a white color. In fact, they are the only marine mammals of this color. Its snout is particularly short and wide. It emits a wide variety of sounds to communicate with others of their species, which have won the Common name of Canaries of the Sea. Some may migrate during the winter to slightly warmer areas, although some always remain in the same place.

If you want to learn more about this animal, do not miss this article of the Beluga whale: characteristics and echolocation.

Narwhal

The Narval has the scientific name, Monodon monoceroalready difference from Beluga, has a gray back with brown and lighter abdomen, in which some spots are distinguished. It measures 3.8 to 5 meters long, and only have two teeth. It is characteristic because It has a very long hornand that is why they are called marine unicorns, but it is really a fang that grows twisted. This stands out from the upper jaw, and is only seen in males. It has no food but social function. In some specimens this fang can measure up to 3 meters long. The second tooth is rudimentary, and in females both teeth remain retained inside the gum. His head is square and his snout is very small, so much that at first glance it seems that he lacks it.

We recommend reading this ecology article about Narval: characteristics, where he lives and what he eats.

If you want to read more articles similar to Monodontidae: What are and characteristicswe recommend that you enter our biology category.