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An osteological study on the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus from Indian ocean

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Relation http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/572/
 
Title An osteological study on the sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus from Indian ocean
 
Creator James, P S B R
Soundararajan, R
 
Subject Shark fisheries
 
Description The skeleton of a miafe sperm will? lie, Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus
(8.1 m) which was stranded on the southern side of Rmisadiai Island" (Gulf of
Mannar) on 30th April 1980, is described in detail. The salient features are a
trough-shaped asymmertrical skull, long 'V shaped mandible, a vertebral column
consisting of seven cervical vertebrae (six of them fused, the first free), eleven
thoracic vertebrae with only ten ribs, eight lumbar vertebrae and 23 caudal vertebrae
with ten chevron bones attached between 3rd and 4th caudal vertebrae and
fairly large forelimbs. Comparison of the skull of this specimen (8.1 m) with that
of another male of an estimated length of 17. 4 m did not reveal any essential
differences due to age. The osteofagical features in which the present material differs
from others on record from elsewhere are mentioned.
 
Publisher CMFRI/ICAR
 
Date 1981
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/572/1/Article_20.pdf
James, P S B R and Soundararajan, R (1981) An osteological study on the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus from Indian ocean. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 28 (1&2). pp. 217-232.