Marine Mammals
Marine mammals emerged over 50 million years ago from terrestrial ancestors. This diverse species relies heavily on the ocean to meet their life needs. Specifically, approximately 100 living species of mammals derive all or most of their necessities from the marine environment. These creatures are classified into three main orders of mammals:
Order Carnivora: This group includes pinnipeds such as seals, sea lions, and walruses, as well as sea otters and polar bears. These animals possess body structures that are well adapted for life both in water and on land.
Order Cetacea: This order includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetaceans have evolved their forelimbs into wide flippers and lack hind limbs altogether. They possess a tail fluke with two pointed ends and a blowhole located on top of their heads, spending their entire lives in aquatic environments. This order is divided into two suborders:
• Toothed Whales (Odontoceti): This suborder includes dolphins, porpoises, and sperm whales. These species have a single blowhole and possess teeth in their jaws.
• Baleen Whales (Mysticeti): This suborder includes true whales. These species have paired blowholes and possess baleen plates made of keratin instead of teeth, which they use to filter plankton, krill, and small fish from the water.
Order Sirenia: This group includes manatees and dugongs, which are strictly herbivorous and inhabit warm, shallow waters.
In the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, species from the order Cetacea and a single species from the order Sirenia, known as the dugong, have been observed. These areas provide crucial habitats for these species and play an essential role in marine ecosystems. Investigating and protecting these groups is of great importance, as a decline in their populations could have serious negative impacts on marine ecosystems.