Marine mammals. Mysticeti

• The feature that characterizes the mysticeti is the filtering system in their mouths formed by the baleen or whalebone, which takes the place of teeth. The baleens are long, flexible plates arranged along the upper jaw like the teeth on a comb. The cetaceans with baleens (mysticeti) include all the large whales that feed on plankton and small crustaceans or fishes.
• The blue whale is the largest of the eleven whales alive today. It can grow up to more than 27 m long, making it the largest animal to have lived on earth, surpassing even the extinct dinosaurs. At the other extreme, is the pygmy right whale, which reaches a length of about 4 m.

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