dcsimg
Matt Wund   cc-by-nc

Odontoceti (Toothed Whales) is a suborder of mammals. There are 194 species of Toothed Whales, in 123 genera and 27 families. It includes groups like Patriocetidae, Ashleycetidae, and Simocetidae. They rely on lift powered swimming to move around.

  • URI: https://eol.org/schema/terms/lift_based_swimming
  • Definition: Hydrofoils, or fins, are used to push against the water to create a normal force to provide thrust, propelling the animal through water. The reduction of fin cross-sectional area helps to minimize drag, and therefore increase efficiency. Regardless of size of the animal, at any particular speed, maximum possible lift is proportional to (wing area) x (speed)<sup>2</sup>. Dolphins and whales have large, horizontal caudal hydrofoils, while many fish and sharks have vertical caudal hydrofoils.
show all records

EOL has data for 19 attributes, including:

Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of Toothed whales. View this species on GBIF