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Mesoplodont
Mesoplodont whales are 16 species of toothed whale in the genus ''Mesoplodon'', making it the largest genus in the cetacean order. Two species were described as recently as 1991 (pygmy beaked whale) and 2002 (Perrin's beaked whale), and marine biologists predict the discovery of more species in the future. A new species was described in 2021. They are the most poorly known group of large mammals. The generic name "mesoplodon" comes from the Greek ''meso''- (middle) - ''hopla'' (arms) - ''odon'' (teeth), and may be translated as 'armed with a tooth in the centre of the jaw'. Physical description Mesoplodont beaked whales are small whales, (pygmy beaked whale) to (strap-toothed whale) in length, even compared with closely related whales such as the bottlenose whales and giant beaked whales. The spindle-shaped body has a small dorsal fin and short and narrow flippers. The head is small and tapered and has a semicircular blow hole that is sometimes asymmetric. The beak, which v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strap-toothed Whale
The strap-toothed beaked whale (''Mesoplodon layardii''), also known as Layard's beaked whale, is one of the largest members of the mesoplodont genus, growing to in length and reaching up to . The common and scientific name was given in honor of Edgar Leopold Layard, the curator of the South African Museum, who prepared drawings of a skull and sent them to the British taxonomist John Edward Gray, who described the species in 1865. Description Adult strap-toothed beaked whales show a distinctive colouration that perhaps makes them one of the most readily distinguishable beaked whale species. Adults have a white beak, with a pale white ‘cape’ that extends to halfway between the dorsal fin and head. The dorsal fin is set far back down the body and is white-tipped. The flukes also have white tips. When observed closely, either at sea or when stranded, these whales show a pale neckband that separates the darker grey colouration found upon the head and melon from the rest of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hector's Beaked Whale
Hector's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon hectori''), is a small mesoplodont living in the Southern Hemisphere. This whale is named after Sir James Hector, a founder of the colonial museum in Wellington, New Zealand. The species has rarely been seen in the wild. Some data supposedly referring to this species, especially juveniles and males, turned out to be based on the misidentified specimens of Perrin's beaked whale - especially since the adult male of Hector's beaked whale was only more recently described. Taxonomy The English taxonomist John Edward Gray first named the species ''Berardius hectori'' in 1871, based on a specimen (a male) collected in Titahi Bay, New Zealand in January, 1866. The following year, 1872, English anatomist William Henry Flower placed it in the genus ''Mesoplodon'', while in 1873, Scottish scientist James Hector assigned the same specimen to the species ''M. knoxi''. The species remained in the genus ''Mesoplodon'' until 1962, when Charles McCann, a vert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perrin's Beaked Whale
Perrin's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon perrini'') is part of the toothed whale suborder and is one of over 90 known cetaceans in existence today. Beaked whales are part of the family Ziphiidae, which are the second most diverse group out of all marine mammals with over 20 species currently recognized. Although diverse, little is understood about these timid, deep divers that can dive for up to two hours. The whales are partially named after their beak shaped jaw, which extends from their small head. The genus name ''Mesoplodon'' comes from the Greek meanings of ''meso''- (middle), - ''hopla'' (arms), - ''odon'' (teeth), and may be translated as 'armed with a tooth in the center of the jaw'. Perrin's beaked whale was described as a new species in 2002 by Dalebout et al. based on five animals stranding on the coast of California between 1975 and 1997, which were initially identified as other species. The common and specific names of ''Mesopledon perrini'' are a tribute to cetologist W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gervais's Beaked Whale
Gervais's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon europaeus''), sometimes known as the Antillean beaked whale, Gulf Stream beaked whale, or European beaked whale (from which its scientific name is derived) is the most frequently stranding type of mesoplodont whale off the coast of North America. It has also stranded off South America and Africa. History of discovery Sometime between 1836 and 1841, a captain of one of the ships of the French merchant and armorer Abel Vautier came across a large animal floating at the entrance to the English Channel, its body covered by swarming gulls. He cut the head off and transported it to Caen, where he presented it to Vautier. Vautier in turn offered it to the anatomist Deslongchamps. The specimen somehow made its way to the French scientist Paul Gervais, who described it as a new species in 1855. For several decades this remained as the only known specimen of this species, with many disregarding its specific status and claiming it merely represented an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sowerby's Beaked Whale
Sowerby's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon bidens''), also known as the North Atlantic or North Sea beaked whale, is a species of toothed whale. It was the first mesoplodont whale to be described. James Sowerby, an English naturalist and artist, first described the species in 1804 from a skull obtained from a male that had stranded in the Moray Firth, Scotland, in 1800. He named it ''bidens'', which derives from the two teeth present in the jaw, now known to be a very common feature among the genus. Physical description File:Mesoplodon bidens.jpg, Profile of an adult female File:Mesoplodon bidens British mammals (Pl. 46) (21866206616).jpg, Adult male File:Head of male Mesoplodon bidens.jpg, Adult male head, showing teeth. Sowerby's beaked whale has a typical body shape for the genus, and is mainly distinguished by the male's dual teeth positioned far back in the mouth. The whale's beak is moderately long, and the melon is slightly convex. The colouration pattern is a grey with light ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrews' Beaked Whale
Andrews' beaked whale (''Mesoplodon bowdoini''), sometimes known as the deep-crest beaked whale or splay-toothed whale, is one of the least known members of a poorly known genus. The species has never been observed in the wild, and is known only from specimens washed up on beaches. Taxonomy The species was first described in 1908 by the American scientist Roy Chapman Andrews from a specimen collected at New Brighton Beach, Canterbury Province, New Zealand, in 1904. He named it in honor of George S. Bowdoin, a donor and trustee to the American Museum of Natural History. Description The body of Andrews' beaked whale is robust in comparison with other members of the genus. The melon is low, and the beak is short and thick. The lower jaw is peculiar in that halfway through it rises up significantly with the teeth extending over the rostrum. The head also sometimes has a light patch on the sides, more prominent in the males. The male, overall dark gray to black, has a lighter "saddle" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramari's Beaked Whale
Ramari's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon eueu'') is a medium size whale in the genus ''Mesoplodon''. It is found in cool waters of the Southern Hemisphere. The species name, ''eueu'', comes from the Khwedam word meaning 'big fish', as most of the strandings of these whales come from Khoisan territories in South Africa. The common name honours Māori whale expert Ramari Stewart. It was previously thought to represent an Indian Ocean population of True's beaked whale (''M. mirus''), although there was speculation that it could be a distinct subspecies of True's beaked whale. However, studies of the Indian Ocean beaked whales found them to be genetically distinct from True's beaked whale, having diverged in the early Pleistocene, and also found them to have a much wider range throughout the Southern Hemisphere. They were thus described as a distinct species, ''M. eueu''. The holotype is a pregnant female who washed ashore in 2011 on Waiatoto Spit, south of Haast, New Zealand. She was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
True's Beaked Whale
True's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon mirus'') is a medium-sized whale in the genus ''Mesoplodon''. It is native to the northern Atlantic Ocean. The common name is in reference to Frederick W. True, a curator at the United States National Museum (now the Smithsonian). Taxonomy The species was first described in 1913 by Frederick W. True from an adult female that had stranded on the outer bank of Bird Island Shoal, Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina, in July 1912. Previously, this species was thought to have two separate populations representing potential subspecies; one in the North Atlantic, and another in the southern Indian Ocean. However, in 2021 the Indian Ocean population (which was found to have a significantly wider range throughout the Southern Hemisphere) was described as a distinct species: Ramari's beaked whale (''M. eueu''). Physical description This whale has a normal mesoplodont body, except that it is rotund in the middle and tapering towards the ends. The two dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stejneger's Beaked Whale
Stejneger's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon stejnegeri''), also known as the Bering Sea beaked whale or the saber-toothed whale, is a relatively unknown member of the genus ''Mesoplodon'' inhabiting the North Pacific Ocean. Leonhard Hess Stejneger collected the type specimen (a beach-worn skull) on Bering Island in 1883, from which Frederick W. True provided the species' description in 1885. In 1904, the first complete skull (from an adult male that had stranded near Newport, Oregon) was collected, which confirmed the species' validity.True, F.W. 1910. ''An account of the beaked whales of the family Ziphiidae in the collection of the United States National Museum, with remarks on some specimens in other American museums''. Washington: Government Printing Office. The most noteworthy characteristic of the males is the very large, saber-like teeth, hence the name. Description The body for this species is typical for a mesoplodont, long and tapering at both ends. The beak is of medium leng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spade-toothed Whale
The spade-toothed whale (''Mesoplodon traversii'') is a very little-known species, the rarest species of beaked whale. It was first named from a partial jaw found on Pitt Island, New Zealand, in 1872; reported and illustrated in 1873 by James Hector (referring it to ''M. layardii''), and described as a new species the next year by John Edward Gray, who named it in honor of Henry Hammersley Travers, the collector. This was eventually lumped with the strap-toothed whale, starting as early as an 1878 article by Hector, who never considered the specimen to be specifically distinct. A calvaria found in the 1950s at White Island, also New Zealand, initially remained undescribed, but was later believed to be from a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale. In 1993, a damaged calvaria was found washed up on Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, and was described as a new species, ''Mesoplodon bahamondi'' or Bahamonde's beaked whale.Reyes, J.C.; van Waerebeek, K; Cárdenas J.C. & Yáñez, J.L. (1995): ''M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pygmy Beaked Whale
The pygmy beaked whale (''Mesoplodon peruvianus''), also known as the bandolero beaked whale, Peruvian beaked whale and lesser beaked whale, is the smallest of the mesoplodonts and one of the newest discoveries. There were at least two dozen sightings of an unknown beaked whale named ''Mesoplodon sp. A'' before the initial classification, and those are now believed to be synonymous with the species. The species was formally described in 1991, based on ten specimens obtained from Peru between 1976 and 1989, including a adult male as the type specimen. A specimen that stranded at Paracas, Peru in 1955 (first tentatively identified as Andrews' beaked whale) has since been identified as a pygmy beaked whale. Since 1987, there have been an additional 40 sightings of the species, for a total of 65 (as of 2001). Description The body of the pygmy beaked whale is the rather typical spindle shape of the genus, although the tail is unusually thick. The melon is somewhat bulbous and slopes do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hubbs' Beaked Whale
Hubbs' beaked whale (''Mesoplodon carlhubbsi'') was initially thought to be an Andrews' beaked whale when discovered by ichthyologist Carl Hubbs; however, it was named in his honor when it was discovered to be a new species. This species has the typical dentition found in the genus, but its main outstanding features are a white "cap" on the head and very extensive scarring. The species is known from 31 strandings, a few at-sea sightings, and observations of two stranded whales that were kept in captivity for 16-25 days. Taxonomy Carl Leavitt Hubbs, a noted American ichthyologist, published a description of a whale found alive in the surf near his office at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, in 1945. He believed it to be Andrews' beaked whale (a very similar species found only in the Southern Hemisphere), but Joseph Curtis Moore, an expert on beaked whales at Chicago's Field Museum, reassigned it to a new species, ''Mesoplodon carlhubbsi'', in 1963, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
