While all whales, dolphins and porpoises fall under the order of Cetacea, the orca’s teeth are what classify them under the suborder Odontoceti, making them “toothed whales.” The orca’s teeth can grow to be up to around four inches long.
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Is a Orca Odontoceti or Mysticeti?
While all whales, dolphins and porpoises fall under the order of Cetacea, the orca’s teeth are what classify them under the suborder Odontoceti, making them “toothed whales.” The orca’s teeth can grow to be up to around four inches long.

Do Odontoceti have teeth or baleen?
They are one of two living groups of cetaceans, the other being the baleen whales (Mysticeti), which have baleen instead of teeth….Toothed whale.
Toothed whales Temporal range: Early Oligocene to present | |
---|---|
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Parvorder: | Odontoceti Flower, 1867 |
Families | |
See List of cetaceans |
Do odontocetes migrate?
Odontocetes typically do not engage in the dramatic seasonal migrations known for some of the mysticetes, although there are exceptions among the larger species. Healthy mysticetes never leave the water, nor do they attempt to leave the water, in favor of land.
Is Odontoceti a family?
Animals belonging to suborder Odontoceti are a very diverse group of cetaceans with the common, distinctive feature of having teeth. Suborder Odontoceti comprises 10 families, for a total of 72 species.

What is the difference between an Odontoceti and Mysticeti?
Whales in the Mysticeti suborder have baleen plates that serve as a filter-feeding system, while marine mammals in the Odontoceti suborder—which includes dolphins and porpoises as well as whales—have teeth.
Is a blue whale Odontoceti?
The Odontoceti is a suborder of the cetaceans. They are the toothed whales. The Odontoceti includes all the whales which eat prey larger than plankton.
What’s the difference between Mysticeti and Odontoceti?
How much does a whale tooth cost?
A scrimshaw whale’s tooth sold for a record-breaking $456,000 at a Cape Cod auction last week. The prized 8-inch tooth piece depicts a 19th-century whale ship, the William Tell, flying an American flag.
What is the difference between odontocetes and Mysticetes?
Generally, odontocetes are smaller than mysticetes. Odontocetes are also more social than mysticetes, and live together in family groups called pods. While all cetaceans have two nostrils, odontocetes have a muscular flap covering one nostril. Thus, odontocetes only have one blowhole.
What does a dolphin’s teeth look like?
Most dolphins have equal-sized conical shaped teeth in both upper and lower jaws (porpoises’ teeth are spade-shaped) perfect for grasping fish and squid. Like most mammals, newborn dolphin teeth are still embedded in the gums. Their teeth will start erupting in the first 5 weeks of life.
When was the earliest known Odontoceti?
around 30 million years ago
The earliest known member of the Odontoceti, the modern toothed whales, is from the early Oligocene, around 30 million years ago.
Do mysticetes migrate?
Most baleen whales are highly migratory, moving toward high-latitude (polar) feeding areas in the summer and toward low-latitude (tropical) calving areas in the winter.
What is a suborder Odontoceti?
toothed whale, (suborder Odontoceti), any of the odontocete cetaceans, including the oceanic dolphins, river dolphins, porpoises, pilot whales, beaked whales, and bottlenose whales, as well as the killer whale, sperm whale, narwhal, and beluga whale.
Which cetacean has the longest yearly migration?
The gray whales
The female, a member of a critically endangered population, swam across the Pacific from Russia to Mexico. The gray whales cruising along California’s coast during their annual fall migration are well known to science.
Is it legal to own scrimshaw?
19th and 20th century scrimshaw, scrimshaw crafted before 1989 (elephant) or before 1973 (sperm whale ivory, walrus ivory etc.) is legal. It is prohibited after that year for commercial import in the U.S. under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
What are the 3 subgroups of odontocetes?
The order Cetacea is divided into three subgroups: The Odontoceti or “toothed whales,” including 65 or more living species of dolphins, porpoises and whales (sperm whales, belugas, narwhals and beaked whales). All of these species have teeth.
What is the difference between odontocetes and mysticetes?
How many species of odontocetes are there?
70 species
The members of this branch of cetaceans are generally much smaller than the baleen whales, but they are far more numerous. They all have teeth, and the number of teeth is variable. They comprise about 70 species in six families.