Translation 2783

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.. .. 231
trie southern part of tne'ortii oea practically all year round. Irom
there s'orne of tnem may go'into the baltic Sea.
In winter the sperm ,haies depart for.warmer waters, from the
Azores to the Cape verde Islands.. During.th migration soue of them .
go away from the coasts of bpain and l'ortugal, where they are hunted.
sperm whales are found all year round in the mediterranean
Sea, both males and females with calves being seen there.
In tué westernIceland region sperm whales feed a% tic seaboutom
in summer, at depths of- 500 metres or more, mainly on fishes
(up to 9 -8')c);
on lump-suckers (pyclopterus lumpus), ocean perch
(Sebastes sp.), and angler-fish (Lophius piscatorius),
Around the Azores the chief item in the diet is cephalopods,
from eight to thirteen species of these, but predominantly (up to
85% . of . the - stomach contents) members of the family ilistioteuthidae.
Whose are large molluscs, up to 2.0-2.5 metres in length, and the
total - weight of them in a-whale's stomach has been - as much as 250 kg. •
Individuals from four to five metres in length occur much less often,
and one or two squids of the genus Architeuthis, measurine: from ten
to • twelve metres and weighing 200 kg, have been recorded. . 'ne fishes•
found most often in the whales' stomachs are
and albacore.
In the-Azores region .female sperm whales attain sexual maturity
at a body length of 8.4-9.5 metres (average 6.8 metres); the
males become sexually mature at• a length of 9.6 metree or even
slightly less, and with testes weighing 1.5 kg or more.
sperm whales mate in the Azores region from danuary to duly,
with a peak frola March to 1._ay, Gestation lasts for 16 months
Lew-
born calves are about 3.92 metres • in lengtn, tne maximum record length
being - 4.25 metres. The calves are born from may to i;ovember, tue
peak_of births being from July to September.
«.i2he youni, are milk-fed
for rather more tnan a year, and by the end of tnat period attain an
average length of about 6.7 metres.
- ost of the females bear Yoi.ng once in throe yearh, a sinsle
calf beinu produced; twins itaVe been recorded in 0.66
of females.
sperm- whales have often been found sLrandod in «die northern
part of the Atlantic, in many places on tue coas%«of Lortn A:nerica
and more especially te. _uropc.an countrion thc•coats
nelminnic parasites are found in all sper.a wnales, in the -
stomach, intestines, kidneys, ,and otner or;:ans an d .
par Lu of t,.e body.
'frationlly no rtn(ly hao 1)unn . , 1d() of hiseasen in s:«orm whales.