Sperm Whale family
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Two Sperm Whales |
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The Sperm Whale family or simply the Sperm Whales is the collective name
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given to three species of whale, the Sperm Whale, the Pygmy Sperm Whale and the Dwarf Sperm Whale. This 'family' is sometimes recognised as a family in the taxonomic sense of the word, and called the Kogiidae family (see reference [1]). Other sources recognise the grouping as a superfamily, the Physeteroidea, (see [2]) and reserve Kogiidae for just the pygmy and dwarf varieties.
The common characteristic of each species is spermaceti, a semi-liquid waxy white liquid filling the case or spermaceti organ in the whale's head. See the individual species articles for further details.