Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen Whales
The baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form the Mysticeti, one of two suborders of the Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises). Baleen whales are characterized by having baleen plates for filtering food from water, rather than having teeth, as with the Odontocetes. This distinguishes them from the other suborder of cetaceans, the toothed whales or Odontoceti. Living Mysticeti species have teeth only during the embryonal phase. Fossil Mysticeti had teeth before baleen evolved.
Read more about this topic: List Of Cetaceans
Famous quotes containing the word whales:
“Though once there were more whales cast up here, I think that it was never more wild than now.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)