Cetacea toothed whales and two in baleen whales. The nostrils are located on top of the head above the eyes so that the rest of the body can remain submerged while surfacing for air. The back of the skull is significantly shortened and deformed. By shifting the nostrils to the top of the head, the nasal passages extend perpendicularly through the skull. The teeth or baleen in the upper jaw sit exclusively on the maxilla. The braincase is concentrated through the nasal passage to the front and is correspondingly higher, with individual cranial bones that overlap. In toothed whales, connective tissue
Strap-toothed whale individual was seen breaching between the South Orkney Islands and South Georgia. Strap-toothed whales' diet consists primarily of squid, although research has suggested that a small portion of their diet may also consist of fish or crustaceans. Adult males have a gape half the size of females and juveniles, limiting their squid to those weighing and less. Nothing is known about social organization of this species. This species has never been hunted or entangled in fishing gear. It is believed to be in a rather safe position compared with other mesoplodonts. Layard's beaked whale is included in the Memorandum of