{"id":2540,"date":"2007-07-30T14:43:00","date_gmt":"2007-07-30T14:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/30\/kogiids-fact-sheet\/"},"modified":"2020-03-10T12:20:42","modified_gmt":"2020-03-10T13:20:42","slug":"kogiids-fact-shee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/kogiids-fact-shee\/","title":{"rendered":"Kogiids fact sheet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the family of Kogiidae there are only two species, the pygmy sperm whale<\/a> (Kogia breviceps<\/em>) and the dwarf sperm whale<\/a> (Kogia sima<\/em>) also called small sperm whales or kogiids. The dwarf sperm whale<\/a> is the smallest species of cetacean classified as a whale, with a length of only 2.5 m and a weight of 272 kg (smaller than several dolphin species).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarities with the sperm whale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0kogiids\u00a0have many similarities with their\u00a0larger cousin the sperm whale<\/a>, for example the blowhole is places slightly to the left of the head\u00a0because\u00a0of the nasal bones being asymmetrical. Also, the lower jaw is\u00a0smaller and thinner then the upper jaw, and most of their teeth are suited in the lower jaw, and sometimes the teeth in the upper jaw never erupts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They all have the spermaceti organ<\/strong> in their heads which contains a\u00a0creamy yellowish-white wax\u00a0which is used in the kogiids highly developed sound system (known as echolocation). The wax acts by focusing the whale’s clicking sounds which echo through the large head.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Little is known about the\u00a0kogiids\u00a0as they are not often sighted in the wild. Most information comes from stranded individuals, and a few have survived strandings and been returned to the wild.\u00a0Even with stranded individuals, genetic confirmation of the species is sometimes required to identify them.\u00a0The global population and the trend of the\u00a0kogiids\u00a0are unknown. But, around the Hawaiian Island, the dwarf sperm whale<\/a> is the sixth most commonly sighted toothed whale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kogiids are thought to be distributed in the deep waters throughout tropical and temperate zones and they may dive to depths up to 300 m where they feed on squid<\/a>, fish (sometimes sharks) and crustaceans.\u00a0They travel slowly at the surface, alone or in small groups of 6-10 individuals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the lower portion of the intestine, there is a sac filled with\u00a0reddish-brown\u00a0liquid and\u00a0if they are startled they\u00a0release a cloud of this\u00a0intestinal\u00a0fluid. This is called the ‘squid tactic’, because it is similar to what squids<\/a> and other\u00a0cephalopod\u00a0species do to avoid predators. The liquid creates a cloud that may discourage predators and\/or causes a confusing diversion, allowing the whales to escape. A dwarf sperm whale<\/a> can release as much as 12 liters. There is a very interesting report about this behaviour by Scott and Cordado (1987).\u00a0A sighting of mother and calf after a purse-seine set was deployed on yellowfin tuna\u00a0associated with a mixed school of pantropical spotted dolphins\u00a0and spinner dolphins.\u00a0The dwarf sperm<\/a> whales were accidentally encircled. While inside the net, the female released into the water a cloud of reddish material, presumably faeces, 6-8 times during the course of the set. The mother released the faeces whenever a dolphin approached the calf, she then appeared to hide herself and the calf in the middle of the opaque cloud.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threats and conservation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fishing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A few have been killed in gillnet fishery in Sri Lanka and perhaps other places. But it is not seen as a big threat to the kogiids. There are reports of by-catch in Brazilian driftnet fishery and in the north-east Atlantic fishery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic and other rubbish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stranded individuals shows plastic and other rubbish in their\u00a0stomachs, which blocks their\u00a0intestinal\u00a0tracks. Strandings also show specimens that had degenerative heart disease, immune system problems and heavy parasite infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound pollution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Naval sonar is known to have a negative affect on cetaceans and can cause strandings. How the sonar cause these problems in unclear and still being investigated. Most\u00a0likely\u00a0it causes physical trauma, like damage to the ears which are essential for the animals’ echolocation system, used for navigation, communication and location of prey. Read more about how this effects beaked whales<\/a>\u00a0by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ship strikes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because of their slow surface activity and logging they are vulnerable to ship strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This species was sometimes targeted by whalers that was hunting sperm whales<\/a> during the 19th century but never commercially hunted. They have recently been taken in commercial harpoon and drive fisheries in Indonesia and Japan. It has also been reports of dwarf sperm whales<\/a> harpooned in St. Vincent (the Lesser Antilles) when they were hunting pilot whales<\/a>. And the meat has been reported found in fish markets in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n

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