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Kogiidae is a family comprising at least two extant species of Cetacea, the pygmy ( Kogia breviceps) and dwarf ( K. sima) sperm whales. As their common names suggest, they somewhat resemble , with squared heads and small lower jaws, but are much smaller, with much shorter skulls and more notable than sperm whales.Jefferson, Thomas A. (1993). 9789251032923, United Nations Environment Programme. ISBN 9789251032923 Kogiids are also characterized by a "false gill slit" behind their eyes.
A number of extinct genera have been named.
Researchers have proposed that K. sima may represent at least two genetically unique species, and further genetic research is needed to determine the real number of extant species of Kogiidae., Denebola brachycephala (top), and an extinct kogiid, Praekogia cedrosensis (bottom), both from the Late Miocene.]] ORDER Artiodactyla
Kogiidae possess a unique system of organs to produce sound, including a Bagpipes-like structure to produce sound and an amplifying horn.
Kogiidae have a modified colon which works as an "ink sac", storing liquid red feces. They are able to release over three gallons of this fecal "ink" to confuse or discourage predators.
Two fossilized species of Kogia sp. were shown to exhibit sympatry, similar to the two modern members of Kogia, which researchers suggested shows that this behavior has been part of Kogiidae for at least 3 million years.
Kogiidae are deep diving whales, believed to dive up to depths of 500 m. Kogiids feed using a technique known as suction feeding, and their diet primarily consists of squid. Pygmy sperm whales are able to eat larger prey than dwarf sperm whales, although their diet as a whole is relatively similar. They have also been observed using echolocation to find their prey, and their hearing places them in the "Very High Frequency" group of cetaceans that can hear well above 100 kHz.
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