What Does Cetacea Mean?

The word Cetacea is the name of an order of species in the Class of Mammalia which includes species such as porpoises, dolphins and whales. The word itself can be traced back to the Latin word "Cetus" which meant "large sea animal" but has come to be used in biological circles when referring to whales. However even the Latin word has come from the Greek word "ketos" which meant "Sea Monster".

The bowhead Whale, Right Whale, Blue Whale, Beluga, Rorqual, Sperm Whale, Orca and Narwhal are all examples of various Cetacea. They are the most suited to aquatic life and have evolved in a way to best adapt these conditions. Their body structure, position and function of the fins, insulation etc makes them "made to order" for such conditions.

There are two types of Cetacea, they are distinguished on the basis of the prevalence of teeth or nail like keratin which they use to eat their food.

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