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type Status Habitat

FISHES

ENDANGERED

ARTIC POLES



Belugas inhabit a very wide variety of habitats. They are found in frigid Arctic and sub-Artic seas almost worldwide.

most commonly captured prey species includes Arctic cod, Pacific salmon, red perch, Greenland halibut, northern shrimp, capelin, smelt, and more.



























            

Magnificent Melon

One easily recognizable characteristic of these white whales is their large melon. They can actually manipulate the shape of their melon to help them echolocate more precisely.

Seeing with Sound

Echolocation is an amazing sense that is shared by many cetacean species. These whales emit clicks and whistles, manipulating their melon to aim the sound waves, and then listen for the sounds to bounce back at them. This allows them to accurately "hear" the shape of everything around them.

Unlikely Similarities

Echolocation is found very frequently in dolphins, but has also developed in an entirely unrelated group of animals as well. Bats also use echolocation to navigate and hunt at night. This is an example of convergent evolution, which is where two very different animals evolve the same or similar mechanisms for survival.