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Animal profile

Pygmy Sperm Whale

Kogia breviceps

MammaliaDeep offshore waters beyond the continental shelfLeast Concern

Field profile

The pygmy sperm whale is a small, blunt-headed whale of about three metres with a shark-like pale bracket behind the eye. It hunts squid in deep water and is rarely seen alive at sea, being known mainly from strandings. It is one of two species in the genus Kogia.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-11-14

Pygmy Sperm Whale

The pygmy sperm whale defends itself with ink

When alarmed, this small whale voids a dense cloud of reddish-brown fluid from a sac in the lower intestine. The cloud hangs in the water while the animal withdraws, a defence otherwise associated with squid and octopuses.

Read with evidence →

Pygmy Sperm Whale | Daily Animal Facts