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Why is a sperm whale called a sperm whale?

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(As far as we can tell, Moby Dick was the only sperm whale that delivered a unique brand of karmic justice to one-legged sea captains bent on vengeance.) Despite the public's passing familiarity with sperm whales, many people have wondered why they are so named. read more

It is the only living member of genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia. The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. read more

Much of the bulk of a sperm whale's enormous head is taken up by a barrel-shaped organ called the case. Inside the case is a clear, liquid oil that when cooled, hardens to resemble white paraffin. Because whalers thought this stuff looked like whale sperm, they called it spermaceti and named the animal a sperm whale. read more

Sperm whale" is an apocopation of Spermaceti Whale. Spermaceti is the semi-liquid, waxy substance found in the animal's head. The name derives from the late Latin sperma ceti (both words loaned from Greek) meaning "sperm of the whale" (strictly, "sperm of the sea monster"), as people mistook the substance for the whale's semen. read more

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