What Colour is a humpback whale?
Humpbacks range in colour from completely black to black with white markings on the throat, abdomen and sides. In some individuals the belly may be completely white and there may be white markings behind the eyes and on the back and head.
What are some adaptations of the humpback whale?
Members of the Order Cetacea have undergone a number of changes or adaptations needed to fare well in their watery home: their bodies have become streamlined for efficient movement through the water; their forelimbs have been modified into flippers which aid them in steering; their hind limbs have disappeared almost …
What are the white spots on humpback whales?
You will often see photos of Humpback whales with clusters of what look like white/brown shells. These are in fact barnacles. It is believed that adult Humpback whales can have up to a 450kg of them on their bodies- that’s a lot of free riders!
Do whales get parasites?
A parasite is an animal that benefits from an interaction with another species, called its host, at the expense of the host. Parasites like tapeworms infect the digestive tracts of their hosts, absorbing valuable nutrients from the host’s meal. Just like people, whales can have tapeworms.
How big is a whale lice?
about 2 to 15 mm
What does whale lice look like?
Appearance. The body of a whale louse is distinctly flat and considerably reduced at the rear. Its legs, especially the back three pairs of legs, have developed into claw-like protuberances with which it clings to its host. Its length ranges from 5 to 25 millimetres (0.2 to 1 in) depending on the species.
Do whales rub against ships?
Barnacles stay on gray whales for as long as they are alive. Barnacles depigment the skin when they attach themselves to the whale. To get rid of the whale lice, whales rub themselves along the sea bottom or breach.
Do dolphins get lice?
Only about a quarter of the dolphins in the study had lice, compared to 100 percent of whales in some surveys. And while one whale can have thousands of lice onboard, infected striped dolphins carried fewer than five lice on average. More than a third of infected dolphins carried only a single louse.
Why are dolphins slippery?
Skin Texture Dolphins have rubbery, slippery, hairless skin. The animals are insulated by a layer of blubber — a type of fat — under their skin to keep them warm in cold water.
What are the little fish that swim under sharks?
remora
Why do fish stay close to sharks?
They eat parasites on their host, and small pieces of food that their host does not eat (leftovers). Pilot fish follow sharks because other animals which might eat them will not come near a shark. In return, sharks do not eat pilot fish because pilot fish eat their parasites. This is called a “mutualist” relationship.