Anatomy of Sound Production and Reception

Mysticetes (baleen whalesBaleen whales) have an amazing array of adaptations of mammalian traits and functions enhanced for aquatic submersion. In this chapter, special emphasis is placed on anatomy and physiology of adaptions that enable communicationCommunication (soundSound production and reception) in water, including during divingDiving. Whenever possible, data revealing anatomical differences will be pointed out at the family level for balaenidsBalaenids (bowhead whaleBowhead whale Balaena mysticetus, and right whalesRight whale Eubalaena glacialis, E. japonica, E. australis), neobalaenidNeobalaenid (pygmy right whalePygmy right whale, Caperea marginata), eschrichtiidEschrichtiid (gray whaleGray whale Eschrichtius robustus), and balaenopteridsBalaenopterids (rorqual whalesRorqual whales, i.e., whales with throat pleatsThroat pleats, including humpback Megaptera novaeangliae, and the many species of the genus Balaenoptera, including minke whaleMinke whale B. acutorostrata, Antarctic minke whaleAntarctic minke whale B. bonaerensis, blue whaleBlue whale B. musculus, fin whaleFin whale B. physalus, sei whaleSei whale B. borealis, Bryde’s whaleBryde’s whale B. edeni, and Omura’s whaleOmura’s whale B. omurai). Some species groupings (e.g., the various right whalesRight whale) or subspecies groupings (e.g., subspecies of blue whalesBlue whale) will not be addressed if there is no literature to indicate a difference, and the assumption is made that their anatomy is similar enough to be generalized for the whole group. In many cases, an anatomical feature may be discussed in generalities because it is present in all mysticetes.