| Sperm Whale family' | ||||||||||||
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Two Sperm Whales | ||||||||||||
| Scientific Classification | ||||||||||||
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The Sperm Whale family or simply the Sperm Whales is the collective name 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.