Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Do whales have teeth?
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
A false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) with its head above water and mouth open, showing its teeth in a vertical headshot against a rippling ocean surface. A pod of sperm whales (Physeter catodon) swims close together near the surface of deep blue ocean water off the coast of Sao Miguel, Azores. Close-up of a baby gray whale at the water's surface with its mouth open, showing the rows of white baleen plates inside.
Quick Facts
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
A false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) with its head above water and mouth open, showing its teeth in a vertical headshot against a rippling ocean surface.
False killer whale A false killer whale is a type of toothed whale. It has simple conical teeth that are used for grasping prey, not for chewing.

Do whales have teeth?

Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Yes, whales can have teeth. Specifically, toothed whales, called odontocetes, are a diverse group of cetaceans such as dolphins, porpoises, and sperm whales. Their simple conical teeth are used for grasping prey, not for chewing. Toothed whales swallow creatures such as squid or fish whole. The quantity of teeth varies greatly. Some species, such as the narwhal, possess as few as 1, while others, including the La Plata river dolphin, can have more than 240.

A pod of sperm whales (Physeter catodon) swims close together near the surface of deep blue ocean water off the coast of Sao Miguel, Azores.
Sperm whalesA sperm whale is a type of toothed whale and is equipped with a lower jaw that typically contains 36 to 50 large conical teeth.

The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and is equipped with a lower jaw that typically contains 36 to 50 large conical teeth. Interestingly, the upper jaw of the sperm whale has vestigial teeth that do not erupt.

Close-up of a baby gray whale at the water's surface with its mouth open, showing the rows of white baleen plates inside.
Young gray whaleGray whales, like other baleen whales, do not have teeth but rather baleen plates, which trap tiny fish in their mouths.

On the other hand, baleen whales, or mysticetes, do not have teeth. Instead, they possess baleen plates, which are unique structures made of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and nails. These plates hang from the upper jaw and are used to filter small prey like plankton and krill from the water. Baleen whales seek out concentrations of these small animals and then open their mouths to take in enormous quantities of water. When the mouth is closed, they squeeze the water out through the sides, catching the tiny prey on the baleen’s bristles. The baleen plates allow whales to consume vast quantities of small organisms efficiently.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko.