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

mesoplodon 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 ...

ts 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 , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

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 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 ...

) 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 down into a rather short beak. The mouthline in males has a very distinct arch with two teeth protruding slightly from the gum line before the apex. The coloration is typically dark gray on the top and lighter below, especially on the lower jaw, throat, and behind the umbilicus. Males may have distinct pale "chevron" patterns on their backs. This species' size is around 4 meters (13 feet) long in mature animals, and around 1.6 meters (5.2 ft) when born.

Population and distribution

This beaked whale has been recorded in the eastern tropical Pacific between Baja California and Peru through sightings and strandings. Further strandings have been recorded in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

() and

Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by ...

(a 3.6 m (11.8 ft) female found at Salinas State Beach), and a fresh specimen in

Humboldt County, CA Humboldt County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,463. The county seat is Eureka. Humboldt County comprises the Eureka–Arcata–Fortuna, California Micropolitan Statistic ...

in 1995, 2001, and 2012, respectively,''Mesoplodon peruvianus'' stranding (STR13453), National Museum of Natural History Collections.
/ref> extending the species' range far to the north and south. Another specimen washed up in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

, although this stranding is considered extralimital.

Behavior

Little is known about the group behaviors of this whale, and small groups have been seen. Stomach contents reveal at least one specimen is a fish eater, as opposed to the squid normally eaten by the genus.

Conservation

This species may be quite vulnerable to gillnets in Peru, since scientists found six dead adults in a very small sample.

Specimens

MNZ MM002142
collected from

Oaro Oaro is a settlement close to the Pacific Ocean Coast of north Canterbury, in the South Island of New Zealand. Oaro is within Kaikoura District on State Highway 1 and on the South Island Main Trunk railway, 20 kilometres south of Kaikoura. It ...

overbridge, south of Kaikoura, New Zealand, 19 October 1993.

References

Sources

*''Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals''. Edited by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J.G.M Thewissen. Academic Press, 2002. *''Sea Mammals of the World''. Written by Randall R. Reeves, Brent S. Steward, Phillip J. Clapham, and James A. Owell. A & C Black, London, 2002.

External links

Cetaceans of the WorldWhale & Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)Pygmy Beaked Whale - ARKive bio
{{Taxonbar, from=Q943830 Mesoplodont whales Mammals described in 1991 Cetaceans of the Pacific Ocean