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Cetaceacetera Trivia Quiz

Cetaceans are wonderful creatures and benefit from our protection. This quiz will cover the lesser known species of whales and dolphins. I will give descriptions, and you choose the correct answer. Have fun, and learn lots!

A multiple-choice quiz by leviathan2000. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
leviathan2000

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
124,148

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
8 / 15

Plays
1391

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. The species identification "rorqual" comes from the Norwegian word "rorhval" which means "furrow." These furrows are obvious on all rorqual whales. Which whale is NOT a rorqual whale? Hint

minke whale

beluga

Bryde's whale

sei whale

NEXT>

Question 2 of 15

2. Right and gray whales have been fished almost to extinction, although the pygmy right whale has never been exploited. Which of the following IS a right or gray whale? Hint

sperm whale

bowhead whale

narwhal

blue whale

NEXT>

Question 3 of 15

3. Narwhals and belugas make up another family of whale. However, taxonomists sometimes include a dolphin which lives in the Indo-Pacific in this family. Which dolphin is sometimes included? Hint

bottlenose dolphin

Risso's dolphin

boto

Irrawaddy dolphin

NEXT>

Question 4 of 15

4. Which whale expels a reddish-brown intestinal fluid when it feels threatened, similar to the octopus's ink? Hint

dwarf sperm whale

pygmy sperm whale

fin whale

Andrew's beaked whale

NEXT>

Question 5 of 15

5. Males of this species have a modified tooth that can grow to 10 feet long! Which whale is it? Hint

strap-toothed whale

narwhal

Blainville's beaked whale

long-finned pilot whale

6. The largest family of whales are the beaked whales. Not much is known about this family; most data is collected off of dead animals. The most distinctive aspect of these whales is their teeth; most specimens have only two or four oversized teeth. Which whale's teeth erupt from bulges in the lower jaw? Hint

Longman's beaked whale

Blainville's beaked whale

Arnoux's beaked whale

Stejneger's beaked whale

NEXT>

Question 7 of 15

7. The family Delphinidae describes which type of cetacean? Hint

rorqual whales

dolphins

southern right whales

porpoises

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Question 8 of 15

8. The family "Phocoenidae" describe which animals? Hint

dolphins

porpoises

beaked whales

Indus and Ganges River dolphins

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Question 9 of 15

9. This dolphin occurs off the eastern coast of South America, and can be found 150 miles up the Amazon River. It is colored a light blue on top, with a pale white underside. Hint

Amazon dolphin

franciscana

South American dolphin

tucuxi

NEXT>

Question 10 of 15

10. Sometimes called the hookfinned porpoise, this animal has a barely noticeable beak. They live in deep waters in the northern latitudes between North America and Asia, and are very fast swimmers (up to 20 mph). Hint

pantropical dolphin

Pacific white-sided dolphin

dusky dolphin

Dall's porpoise

NEXT>

Question 11 of 15

11. These dolphins have small eyes, and can be effectively blind. They rely on echolocation to find prey and swim in turbid waters. They include the baiji and boto. Hint

oceanic dolphins

muddy dolphins

blind dolphins

river dolphins

NEXT>

Question 12 of 15

12. This family includes the vaquita, harbor, and spectacled. They are shy and usually stay away from boats. They are particularly susceptible to nets, fishing line, and other pollution. Hint

dolphins

pilot whales

river dolphins

porpoises

NEXT>

Question 13 of 15

13. This oceanic dolphin has a distinctive yellow patch on its sides. It is mostly found in the northern latitudes of the Atlantic. Hint

common dolphin

Atlantic yellow-sided dolphin

Hector's dolphin

Atlantic white-sided dolphin

NEXT>

Question 14 of 15

14. This popular dolphin sometimes herds fish onto a beach in order to eat the stranded fish. Consequently, the teeth on one side of the mouth (usually the right) are more worn down because they chew the grit from the beach along with their catch. Hint

stranded dolphin

right-sided dolphin

bottlenose dolphin

spotted dolphin

NEXT>

Question 15 of 15

15. And, speaking of orcas, which of the following does an orca NOT do with its food? Hint

throw it

slam it on the surface of the water

use the food to teach younger orca

regurgitate it for their young

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Apr 04 2024 : DCW2: 15/15
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The species identification "rorqual" comes from the Norwegian word "rorhval" which means "furrow." These furrows are obvious on all rorqual whales. Which whale is NOT a rorqual whale?

Answer: beluga

The rorqual whales have been the most exploited of the cetaceans. The whaling industry has severely depleted their numbers, especially the blue whale. They do not have teeth, but have baleen. Taking in tons of water, the rorquals then sift the water through their baleen in order to filter out plankton and krill, on which they feed.

2. Right and gray whales have been fished almost to extinction, although the pygmy right whale has never been exploited. Which of the following IS a right or gray whale?

Answer: bowhead whale

Right whales got their name because they were the "right" whale. When harpooned, the whale did not sink, but floated, making it easy for whalers to get at their kill. They tend to live in Arctic and Antarctic waters. Bowhead whales are traditionally taken by Inuits and Eskimos. The only whale in this family that has a dorsal fin is the pygmy right whale.

3. Narwhals and belugas make up another family of whale. However, taxonomists sometimes include a dolphin which lives in the Indo-Pacific in this family. Which dolphin is sometimes included?

Answer: Irrawaddy dolphin

Narwhals and belugas are both in the Monodontidae (one-toothed) family, grow to between 9 and 16 feet, and are found in Arctic waters. The Irrawaddy dolphin grows to between 7 and 9 feet, and is usually found in shallow coastal waters, but has been found 800 miles upriver in India, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

4. Which whale expels a reddish-brown intestinal fluid when it feels threatened, similar to the octopus's ink?

Answer: pygmy sperm whale

The pygmy sperm whale is relatively small, only about 9 to 12 feet long. This whale breaches occasionally; most times it floats on the surface, and then simply sinks underwater.

5. Males of this species have a modified tooth that can grow to 10 feet long! Which whale is it?

Answer: narwhal

The long tusk on male narwhals is usually on the left side, while approximately 1 in 500 males have two tusks. Around 15% of females also generate a tusk and there has been one recorded instance of a female with two tusks.

Answer: Blainville's beaked whale

Also known as the dense-beaked whale, Blainville's beaked whales look like they have two horns coming from the head. The teeth can become incredibly encrusted with barnacles, and look like puffballs. Interestingly, Blainville's beaked whale has the densest bones in the animal kingdom.

7. The family Delphinidae describes which type of cetacean?

Answer: dolphins

The largest in the Delphinidae family is Orcinus orca, or the killer whale. All of the animals in this family have teeth, which are cone shaped.

8. The family "Phocoenidae" describe which animals?

Answer: porpoises

Porpoises differ from dolphins. They have spade-shaped teeth, and no "beak" to their nose. They are the smallest of the cetaceans.

9. This dolphin occurs off the eastern coast of South America, and can be found 150 miles up the Amazon River. It is colored a light blue on top, with a pale white underside.

Answer: tucuxi

Pronounced "tookooshee," this dolphin lives in very tightly knit social groups. They can make spectacular breaches, and only dive for about 30 seconds.

Answer: Pacific white-sided dolphin

Because of its unnoticeable beak, this dolphin is sometimes confused with the dusky dolphin. They create a large spray of water from their flukes when they swim, which sometimes incorrectly causes them to be identified as Dall's porpoise.

11. These dolphins have small eyes, and can be effectively blind. They rely on echolocation to find prey and swim in turbid waters. They include the baiji and boto.

Answer: river dolphins

River dolphins usually live in rivers in India, China, and South America. Because of the muddiness of the waters they live in, their eyes have become smaller, and are essentially useless.

12. This family includes the vaquita, harbor, and spectacled. They are shy and usually stay away from boats. They are particularly susceptible to nets, fishing line, and other pollution.

Answer: porpoises

Porpoises have no beak, and are smaller and stockier than their cousins, the dolphins.

13. This oceanic dolphin has a distinctive yellow patch on its sides. It is mostly found in the northern latitudes of the Atlantic.

Answer: Atlantic white-sided dolphin

Also known as the jumper, and springer dolphin, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin's name is misleading. I think it should be the Atlantic yellow-sided dolphin!

Answer: bottlenose dolphin

This behavior is much like the orca's attack on sea lions onshore, however the bottlenose doesn't "play" with its food.

15. And, speaking of orcas, which of the following does an orca NOT do with its food?

Answer: regurgitate it for their young

In a rather odd behavior, orcas catch sea lions by running up onto the beach, surprising unsuspecting prey. It's a grisly game that may be only play, or may have other porpoises, er, purposes!

Source: Author leviathan2000

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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