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The beaked whale family (scientific name: Ziphiidae), also known as the sword-nosed whale family, is the least known group of animals in the order Cetaceae. The word Beaked Whale was first used in the Old Norse word "nebhval", which means "beaked whale".
The most obvious common feature of beaked whales is the beak, which is proportionally shorter than dolphins with long-billed beaks, but longer than other cetaceans. All beaked whales have a pair of deep V-shaped grooves at the throat area, which are sometimes called "laryngeal folds", but are structurally different from the laryngeal folds possessed by members of the baleen family, which is generally referred to as the latter.
The most important ways to identify the various beaked whales are the size and shape of the teeth and the location of the birth in the lower jaw. Most species retain only 1 pair of teeth, only adult males have teeth that develop to protruding gums, and some species have adult males whose teeth are exposed when their mouths are closed, and females and juvenile males cannot see teeth. Adult males often have elongated scars that cross-shape their bodies throughout the body, judging that the teeth may be weapons used for fighting.
In general, beaked whales are deep divers, rarely approaching the surface of the sea, and the main point is found at depths of at least 300 meters. Most species appear to feed on gun squid and fish in the middle or deep ocean.
Beaked whales are quite difficult to observe, several of which have not yet been found alive, and only a few species have more in-depth research data. The classification of beaked whales has always been temporary and undecided, and new species are often published or corrected by old species, and there are more than 20 species in 6 genera and 20 species.
Berardius
The two beaked whales of this genus are distinguished by their larger size , a distinctly raised forehead ridge , and a long-billed beak. They have 2 pairs of teeth, both located at the front of the lower jaw, with the front teeth large and triangular, the latter smaller and nail-like. Adult whales protrude from both female teeth, and the front teeth protrude from the tip of the jaw, as are visible when the mouth is closed.
Arnold's hammer whale
Scientific name: Berardius arnuxii
Arnold's mallet whale, also known as Arnake's beaked whale and southern beaked whale, is almost entirely slate to light brown, and the head color is lighter. As we age, many long white scars are added to the forehead, back and sides of the body, and older individuals also have scars on the abdomen. Its scars give the overall appearance a marble-like pattern.
It is roughly distributed in the southern hemisphere, from the edge of antarctic ice floes (about 78 degrees south latitude) to about 34 degrees south latitude, and may occur in the South Pacific, the South Atlantic, and the southern Indian Ocean, but most observations are south of 40 degrees south latitude, most often found in the Tasman Sea, and New Zealand has been collectively stranded. Sometimes they are forced to spend the winter in Antarctica because they are trapped by ice.
Byzantine hammer whale
Scientific name: Berardius bairdii
Beetle-beaked whales, also known as Becky-beaked whales and Bell's beaked whales, are currently the largest living species beaked whales in the world.
Maximum length and weight recorded: male - about 12 m, 10,000 kg or more; female - 12.8 m, 11,000 kg or more. The body is long and nearly tubular, the overall appearance is thick but not fat, and the widest part of the belly circumference is about 50-60% of the body length. The mouth curve is long and curved, and the end is curved upwards. Since the lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw, even with the mouth closed, the two large triangular teeth at the tip of the lower jaw are still clearly visible when the mouth is closed, and the other two smaller teeth are located behind the large teeth and cannot be seen when they are closed. Unlike most cetaceans, both males and females have distinctly exposed teeth.
Because of the behavior of the Beckerh hammer whale rubbing its teeth against each other, there are often long scratch marks on the surface of the body, mostly extending from the back of the forehead to the back and flank, and sometimes even the abdomen. Individuals who have not reached sexual maturity usually have a light gray appearance like slate, and the scars are usually rare; the body color of mature individuals will turn dark gray to black, and the scars will increase significantly, and in old age, due to the accumulation of scars, the appearance may be marble-like. The abdomen often has cloudy white patches, especially near the throat, navel, and reproductive fissures. Due to the attachment of diatoms, the appearance may appear brown or light greenish brown.
It is distributed in the temperate zone of the North Pacific Ocean, and includes the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan and other surrounding seas, of which the ethnic groups living in the vicinity of Japan are the most deeply studied. Mostly in deep waters , it occurs only in coastal areas where the continental shed is very narrow. The highest density occurs in the middle of the ocean and in the seabed with cliffs or submarine mountains, mostly found north of 35 degrees north latitude, generally not south of 34 degrees north latitude, or into the Yellow Sea or east China Sea. In the Sea of Okhotsk in winter and spring, they have been witnessed swimming in groups of ice floes, and in some narrow crevices in between. In the eastern North Pacific, from the southern half of the Bering Sea, along the Aleutian Islands, south to the california off the coast at about twenty-eight degrees north latitude, sometimes entering the Gulf of California.
Byzantine hammer whale has been the object of commercial whaling, including the former Soviet Union, Canada, the United States, etc. have been a small number of catches, Japan began to hunt Beaked Beaked Whales in the 17th century in the Gulf of Tonkin, before 1840 the annual harvest was more than 25; by 1891 after the introduction of whaling cannons began to carry out whaling industry in various areas, after the end of World War II, the entire North Pacific Ocean is its operating area, it is estimated that between 1948 and 1986 Japan killed nearly 4,000 Beaked Beaked Whales, of which 1952 was the most, About 300 were arrested and killed that year. At present (2002 data), Japan's annual whaling quota is 8 in the Sea of Japan, 2 in the South Okhotsk Sea and 52 in the Pacific Coast.
Bottle-nosed whale genus Hyperoodon
True bottle snout whale
Scientific name: Hyperoodon ampullatus
True bottle-nosed whales, also known as northern bottle-nosed whales, usually appear in groups of 1 to 4 whales, are curious animals that approach stationary or slow-moving ships and swim around until they are satisfied. Their superior diving abilities allowed them to dive into the deep sea to forage for food, and starfish were once found in their stomachs, speculating that they might forage near the ocean floor. It mainly eats gun squid and squid, but also eats herring, Greenland halibut, silver mackerel, star sable and other fish, as well as shrimp and even sea cucumbers.
Maximum body length and weight recorded: male - 9.8 m, female - 8.7 m; weight 5,800-7,500 kg. He is long but round, with a pronounced beak and a towering forehead. Sex is distinguishable by the appearance of the head, with adult males having white foreheads and bulging forwards to nearly square shapes, while females are grayer and spherical (juvenile males are somewhere in between). Adult whales have a grey-to-brown back and a lighter belly; juveniles have a darker body color than adult whales and are nearly dark-brown. Oval scars are often white or pale yellow, and the range becomes larger as we age, especially on the abdomen and on the sides of the body.
It is found only in the North Atlantic, mainly in cold temperate waters in the subarctic region.
Flat-fronted bottle-nosed whale
Scientific name: Hyperoodon planifrons
Flat-fronted bottle-nosed whales, also known as southern bottle-nosed whales, often appear in small groups of 1 to 3 heads, generally no more than 10 in number, and occasionally up to 25. They are deep divers, rarely appearing in water depths of less than 183 meters, and seem to dive to depths of 1,000 meters, up to a maximum of more than 1 hour, but generally do not dive for such a long time. They specialize in gun squid and squid, and the stomach contents are almost entirely cephalopod beak residue.
Maximum body length and weight recorded: male - 6.9 m, female - 7.4 m; weight of about 6,000-8,000 kg. The body is long and stout. The boundary between the base of the beak and the frontal ridge is quite obvious, and the beak of adult males is thicker and shorter than that of females and juvenile males, and its frontal ridge is spherical and towering. There is a pair of teeth at the tip of the lower jaw, and only adult males show their gums, which are visible even when the mouth is closed, but some individuals may have four or no teeth. The body color is generally yellowish brown to grayish brown , and the abdomen is off-white , although some scholars believe that the hue of the back is due to the influence of diatom coverage , rather than true body color.
It is widely distributed in the southern hemisphere, and is found in the south Pacific at least as far as Valparaiso in Chile, the North Island in New Zealand, and New South Wales in Australia; in the western Indian Ocean, in the western Indian Ocean, in australia at about 31 degrees south latitude; in the South Atlantic, in South Africa's Cape Province and Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul. It usually occurs south of 30 degrees south latitude, especially in the area of 58 to 62 degrees south latitude; the southernmost part can be found at about 73 degrees south latitude in the Ross Sea. In summer, the highest density occurs at about 60 nautical miles from the edge of the ice.
Although not much is known, depending on the frequency of sightings, they may be the most numerous beaked whales in antarctica. They have only sporadic records of captures and are not often killed or injured by fishing vessels. It is estimated that about 500,000 southern bottlenose whales are found south of the Antarctic Convergence during the summer months.
Mesoplodon is a genus of middle-beaked whales
The teeth of this genus of beaked whales vary in size and shape, and grow in different positions, some at the tip of the jaw and some at the back. The species is diverse in size, with complex body colours and mottled patterns, but the details of their colours are unknown due to the very few opportunities for live observation. There are some white areas on the body surface that are generally dark, such as a white or partially white beak. All middle-beaked whales have sickle-shaped or triangular dorsal fins , mostly small and medium-sized. The frontal ridge has different shapes from arc or towering to low and flat.
Double-toothed middle-beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon bidens
Double-toothed beaked whales, also known as Sauerean beaked whales, are the earliest known beaked whales, and their species names are derived from the Latin "bi-", meaning "two", and "dens", meaning "teeth", reflecting that they only have two teeth in their mouths, which was thought to be their unique feature at the time, as is the case for all middle-beaked whales and most other beaked whales known today.
Adult males have two protruding teeth in their lower jaws, about 30 cm behind the tip. The grey long-billed beak often emerges first when it surfaces, when the teeth of adult male whales are clearly visible. The back is bluish gray to dark grey, the body side is lighter, and the abdomen is light gray to white. The body surface is scattered with many long white or gray scars and spots (sometimes on the back), especially in adult males.
Mainly distributed in the cold temperate waters of the North Atlantic, it can be said to be the most northerly distribution of beaked whales, and stranding records are more common on the east coast, especially in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and other places. The known northern limit of distribution is roughly between Labrador in Canada and the Faroe Islands in Norway. The actual number of beaked whales in Sothea is unknown. Although Norwegian whalers sometimes hunted them in the off-coast of Iceland and the Baltic Sea in the past, today there are no hunting in the rest of the world. Part of the cause of death was caused by entanglement in fishing nets, but the mortality rate caused by this is still the main threat.
Bow's middle beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon bowdoini
The Bob's Middle-Beaked Whale, also known as the Ann's Middle-Beaked Whale, is stout, flattened, with a short and thick beak, and a large lower jaw that forms a pronounced arch in the middle. The dorsal fin is small, triangular in shape, and the tip is rounded and blunt, located behind the center of the dorsal. Adult males have 2 large exposed teeth visible in their lower jaws, broad but fairly flattened on the sides, located about 20 cm from the tip of the lower jaw.
It is found only in the southern hemisphere and may be distributed in circumferric areas at temperate latitudes (between 32 degrees south latitude and 54 degrees 30 minutes south latitude). Stranded records are known in southern Australia, New Zealand, the Macquarie Islands, the Falkland Islands, and Tristan da Chunha. Records of discoveries in the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean and Peru may be a misidentification of other beaked whales.
Carbide's beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon carlhubbsi
The Kah's middle-beaked whale, also known as the Hashi middle-beaked whale or the Hu's middle-beaked whale, is found only in the North Pacific Ocean.
Maximum body length and weight record: 5.4 m; approx. 1,500 kg. The middle of the body is thick and thinner towards the ends of the body. The dorsal fin is slightly sickle-shaped, located behind the middle of the body, and the adult whale's dorsal fin is about 22–23 cm tall. The frontal bulge is medium-spherical, the posterior half of the beak curve is prominently arched, and the exposed teeth of adult male whales are located at the highest part of the lower jaw. Adult males are generally dark gray to black in color , with white areas on most of the upper and lower jaws and the forehead. There are large white spots with a diameter of up to 30 centimeters around the air vents, and their shapes are changeable, and the appearance is easily reminiscent of white hats, or edgeless flat hats.
It is known to be found only in temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean. In the western North Pacific, this species appears to be confined to the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan, at the intersection of about 38 degrees north latitude and Kuroshio. In the eastern North Pacific, its distribution is generally considered to be in British Columbia, Canada (about 54 degrees north latitude) and as far south as San Diego, California (about 33 degrees north latitude). Its distribution appears to be related to deep currents.
Heavy kiss on the beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon densirostris
The heavy-beaked whale, also known as the middle-beaked whale of the Brinell, appears to be the most widely distributed species in the genus Mid-beaked whale and is the only person in the genus to have confirmed data on observations in the sea. Its species names are derived from the Latin words densus (meaning "thick" or "dense") and rostrum (meaning "mouth beak").
Maximum body length and weight record: male - 4.4 m, over 800 kg; female - 4.6 m, at least 1,000 kg. The body is thick and stout, with a small dorsal fin, triangular or sickle-shaped, located about 2/3 of its length. The beak is medium in length and the frontal ridge is small and flattened in appearance. The mouth curve is special, first extending horizontally backwards, and rising sharply to the middle section in a circular arc. Adult males have 2 large teeth at the lower jaw bulge, with a slightly protruding end and inclined forward over the palate. Strings of gooseneck barnacles are often attached to the teeth.
It is widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate waters of oceans, occasionally entering high latitudes, and may be related to warm currents, such as the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and the Agulhas Current in southern Africa.
European middle-beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon europaeus
European middle-beaked whales, also known as the Resper's Middle-Beaked Whale and Jay's Middle-Beaked Whale, appear to have never been seen at sea, but they are arguably the most stranded middle-beaked whales off the coast of North America.
Maximum body length and weight recorded: male - at least 4.5 m, female - at least 5.2 m; weight at least 1,200 kg. It is a small and medium-sized beaked cetacean with a slender body, and its sides are concentrated in the center of the body as if it is squeezed. The head is small and pointed, the beak is narrow, and the mouth curve is roughly straight. Adult male whales have 2 protruding teeth in the lower jaw, located about 7-10 cm behind the tip, and are not very conspicuous in appearance. Judged by fresh stranded individuals, their body color pattern is thin. In general, the back is dark gray and the abdomen is light gray, and the abdomen of juvenile individuals is white, which gradually deepens with age.
It is found only in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They are more frequently stranded on the west coast of the North Atlantic (especially off the coast of Florida in the United States), the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean, with known stranding sites as far north as New York and as far south as Da bahamas.
Ginkgo biloba teeth in the beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon ginkgodens
Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, also known as Japanese beaked whale and ginkgo-beaked whale. There were only formal descriptive reports in 1958 , and the already little-known beaked whale family is one of the few species with very little information.
It is stout in size, and the dorsal fin is typical of the genus Mid-Beaked Whale: small in proportion, usually sickle-shaped, located in the posterior segment of the back corresponding to 2/3 of the total length. The forehead is rounded and connects the medium-length beak with a fairly inclined slope. The beak curve of adult males is greatly upturned at half of the beak, and the 2 large teeth are almost completely covered by gum tissue, and the tip does not exceed the palate. The tooth width of the beaked whale in the ginkgo biloba tooth can reach 10 cm, making it the widest of the genus Mid-Beaked Whale. Due to the general lack of long scars in adult males, it is suggested that ginkgo-toothed beaked whales, unlike other middle-beaked whales, may not have fought between males. The feeding habits of beaked whales in the ginkgo biloba teeth are unknown, and it is speculated that they are mainly squid and fish in the middle layer of the ocean.
It is found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Stranding records are known to be as far north as the Pacific coast of Honshu, Japan, and southern California, the southernmost Dagarabago Islands and the Australian province of New South Wales, as well as in Taiwan and Mexico. In the Indian Ocean, there have been records of discoveries in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Strait of Malacca.
Gurdjieff's beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon grayi
Geh's middle-beaked whale, also known as Grey's middle-beaked whale, lower-beaked whale, southern beaked whale. They are probably the most social mid-beaked whales, with a fairly high frequency of strandings, sometimes strandings, and they are also the most deeply studied by humans in the genus Mid-beaked whales.
Maximum body length and weight recorded: male - 5.7 m, female - 5.3 m or more; weight of about 1,100 kg. It is medium and slender, with a small dorsal fin and a slightly sickle-shaped shape. They have a distinctly long , sharp beak with a fairly straight beak. The frontal bulge is slightly raised in front of the vent hole and has a smoother inclination to the beak. The Middle-Beaked Whale is quite peculiar in the genus Mid-Beaked Whale, with adults having 17-22 pairs of small teeth in the upper jaws, both male and female, arranged roughly from the opposite position of the large lower jaw teeth, which are usually only a few millimeters long and the roots are not connected to the jawbone. Its back is dark grey and its ventral surface is light grey, and its pectoral fins are dark in color. Adult males are dark grey , but their jaws are conspicuously white ; adult females have slightly lighter backs than adult males and pale to white jaws. There are white plaques around the navel, reproductive fissure, anus, and cleft milk. Adult males have many long white scars and small, round spots of white.
It is widely distributed in the temperate waters of the southern hemisphere, mainly between 30 degrees and 45 degrees south latitude. Strandings have been found in Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Chatham Islands, especially In New Zealand. There are confirmed sightings in the southern and eastern waters off Madagascar and in the waters off Antarctica.
Hatch's middle beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon hectori
The Hatchback Beaked Whale was formerly known as the Heck's Beaked Whale, also known as the Crooked-beaked Whale and the New Zealand Beaked Whale. It has a typical mid-beaked whale size with a small head , a long torso , and a short tail. The dorsal fin is small and triangular, slightly sickle-shaped. Adult males have two protruding teeth, located about an inch from the tip of the jaw, large and conspicuous. The exposed part of the tooth is isosceles in shape. The body color is roughly dark on the back and light on the abdomen, and the ventral surface of the caudal fin is white with black edges.
Recorded stranding sites are scattered along the coasts of the temperate zone of the Southern Hemisphere, including Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, South Africa, Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, with New Zealand making up the majority. Speculated from the stranding site , the Hatchet's beaked whale may have inhabited temperate ocean waters.
Ley's middle-beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon layardii
Ley's middle-beaked whale, also known as the long-toothed middle-beaked whale and the hook-toothed beaked whale. The 2 teeth of the lower jaw of an adult male whale will grow to the point of wrapping around the upper jaw, crossing each other and pressing against the upper jaw, so that the adult male can only barely open its mouth. Scientists think the teeth may be a weapon to fight other male whales, but it also limits the size of the squid that can be inhaled into the mouth. Only fairly small and slender squid can be eaten, generally weighing less than 100 grams, and the length of the mantle film is less than 16 cm.
Maximum body length and weight record: male - 5.9 m, female - 6.2 m; weight 1,000-1,300 kg. The Middle-beaked Whale is the largest and most colorful species in the genus Middle-beaked Whale. Its appearance is similar to that of other middle-beaked whales, including a small proportion of head, a thick thorax and abdomen, a short tail, and a small and sickle-shaped dorsal fin, located about 2/3 of the total length. The frontal ridge is spherical in shape and descends to the beak at an inclined slope. The beak is long and slender, and the mouth curves straight.
It has a wide range and may be distributed around the South Pole in cold temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere. Known stranding records include Australia, South Africa, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Namibea, New Zealand and elsewhere.
Accidental beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon mirus
The accidental middle-beaked whale, also known as the Truss middle-beaked whale and the chu-beaked whale, was originally thought to be distributed only in the Atlantic Ocean, but has been confirmed to be found in the southern hemisphere.
Maximum body length and weight record: 5.3 m; male - at least 1,020 kg, female - about 1,400 kg. The middle of the body is round and fat, and it is gradually thinned at both ends. The dorsal fin is small, may be triangular or sickle-shaped, and the area of the spine behind the dorsal fin shows a pronounced dorsal ridge. The forehead is rounded, almost spherical, and sloped at a medium slope to the base of the short-billed beak. There are clear creases behind the vent holes. Adult male whales have 2 medium-sized teeth located at the tip of the lower jaw, which protrude only slightly.
In the Northern Hemisphere , it appears to inhabit only the temperate waters of the North Atlantic. Stranded records run as far north as Canada's Nova Scotia and Ireland, and as far south as Florida, the Bahamas, and the Canary Islands in the United States.
Their distribution in the southern hemisphere is unknown, but strandings in South Africa and western Australia are not known. There appear to be distribution gaps in the tropics of the Atlantic Ocean, and there is no evidence that they are found in the North Pacific and the North Indian Ocean.
Pepper's middle-beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon perrini
The Perchsian beaked whale is found off the Pacific coast of North America. Maximum length recorded: male - 3.9 m, female - 4.4 m.
Peruvian middle-beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon peruvianus
The Peruvian middle-beaked whale is a beaked whale that was only discovered quite late. In 1976, scientists found an unknown beaked whale skull in a Fish Market in Peru, which was identified as a beaked whale of the genus Middle-beaked Whale, but the species was unknown; it was not until 1985 that a complete sample was found at another fish market in Peru.
Similar in size to other beaked whales of the genus Middle-beaked Whale, it is spindle-shaped, and the largest area of body cross-sectional circumference is between the pectoral fin and the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin is small and triangular, slightly sickle-shaped, about 2/3 of the way back. The caudal stalk is thick and the caudal fin is wide (equivalent to 1/4 of the total length). The frontal bulge in front of the vent hole and connects with the short beak at a fairly steep angle, with the mouth curve curved upward towards the rear. Adult males have 2 teeth in the lower jaw, located behind the tip of the beak, with only slightly protruding jawbone, which is invisible when they close their mouths. Adult whales are generally dark grey on the back and sides, and the ventral surface is much lighter, especially in front of the jaw, throat and navel. The dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and caudal fin are all dark grey.
It is known to inhabit the waters off Peru and Chile, at approximately 11 to 29 degrees 15 minutes south latitude, and in the southwestern Gulf of California, off the western coast of Mexico, and off the southern coast of California. Small groups of three individuals have been witnessed at about 11 degrees north latitude and 98 degrees west latitude, while eyewitness records in La Paz, Mexico, have not been confirmed. Stranding records from New Zealand indicate that they may also be found in the western South Pacific.
Shi's beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon stejnegeri
The beaked whales of the Shih tzu are larger than the other beaked whales, second only to the long-toothed beaked whales, and for this reason the beaked whales are sometimes referred to as saber-toothed saber-toothed whales and saber-toothed whales.
Maximum length record: male - 5.25 m, female - 5.5 m. The body is long and tapers to the ends like other middle-beaked whales. In contrast to other mid-beaked whales , its frontal ridge appears flattened , connecting the medium-length pointed beak with a gentle slope. The sickle-shaped dorsal fin is located behind the center of the back. The mouth curves to the posterior semi-smooth upwards, forming a pronounced arch. Adult males have 2 large flattened teeth protruding about the axis of the bowed jaw, about 20 cm from the tip of the snout, leaning forward and slightly bent inward.
Distributed in the subarctic and cool temperate waters of the southwestern Bering Sea in the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, including the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, Alaska and the Aleutian Islands may be distribution centers. Stranded records as far south as Miyagi Prefecture in Japan and California in the United States. Although they are also known as beaked whales in the Bering Sea, they appear to haunt only the southern edge and do not penetrate deeper into the Bering Sea. Winter and spring are peak stranding periods off the coast of Japan, suggesting that they may migrate. Cigar bite marks have been found in groups near the Aleutian Islands, and it is speculated that their distribution may reach the warm temperate waters where the species is abundant.
Tex's middle-beaked whale
Scientific name: Mesoplodon traversii
The Beaked Whale, also known as the shovel-toothed Beaked Whale, is the rarest and least understood species in the beaked whale family.
Two shovel-toothed beaked whales (mother and juvenile) ran aground in the Bay of Plenty in northern New Zealand in 2010 and later died. At first, the relevant units thought they were Grignard beaked whales, until 2012, when the DNA and tissue identification results were confirmed to be shovel-toothed beaked whales, which was the first time that a live tooth-beaked whale was recorded in the world. This whale is also the smallest known extant large mammal known to humans.
Indopacetus is a genus of Indopacetus
Pacific Indo-Pacific beaked whales
Scientific name: Indopacetus pacificus
Pacific Indo-beaked whale, also known as Lang's middle-beaked whale, Pacific beaked whale or Indo-Pacific beaked whale. Arguably the most mysterious species in the order Cetaceans, the existing specimens have only two weathered skulls, no proven records of living observations, and not even complete corpses.
There are still no confirmed records of live witnesses. The two existing skulls are 1.2 m (Australian specimen) and 1.1 m (Somali specimen), and it is speculated that they should be medium to large beaked cetaceans. Neither skull has any teeth found, and judging by the alveolar recess at the tip of the jaw, there should be two small teeth with a roughly oval cross-section that slopes slightly forward.
Extrapolated from the location of the skull' discovery , lang's beaked whales are roughly distributed in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans , probably inhabiting the pelagic oceans. "Tropical bottlenose whales" are mainly observed at water temperatures above 26 degrees Celsius. One suspected sighting in the Gulf of Mexico suggested a possible presence in tropical Atlantic waters, but has not been confirmed.
Although there is little information about it, but its number does not seem to be rare, the related large beaked whale sightings have been recorded so far more than 65, 45 cases in the tropical waters from the eastern Pacific Ocean to the western Indian Ocean from 2000 to 2001 alone, and there are dozens of possible stranding records, because the appearance does not meet all known beaked cetaceans, perhaps the mysterious Pacific Indo-Beaked Whale.
Tasmacetus .Tagmaetus
Shea's Tower Beaked Whale
Scientific name: Tasmacetus shepherdi
The Shea's Beaked Whale, formerly known as the Shea's Beaked Whale, is an extremely rare cetacean known to humans, which is actually known only from a few stranded corpses, and the eyewitness records are even fewer, and there is no reliable evidence of their whereabouts and habits in the sea. Shea's Tower Beaked Whales are quite unique among beaked whales because they have many functional teeth on their upper and lower jaws. Maximum length recorded: 6-7 meters. The actual body color of the Shea's tower beaked whale before his death is unknown. According to observations of stranded cadavers, the back of the Schoener's beaked whale is darker, the abdomen is lighter, the light area of the abdomen at the pectoral fin and anus will spread to the back, and there may be long stripes and twill on the sides and flanks of the body. The front of the head is usually lighter in color, and the dorsal, thoracic, and caudal fins are dark in appearance.
The Shea's Beaked Whale is thought to be an oceanic cetacean that may be distributed around the South Pole in cold temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere. Known stranding records include New Zealand (12), Australia (1), Argentina (3), Juan Fernández Islands (2), and the South Sandwich Islands (3), with no record of discoveries north of 30 degrees south latitude. There are currently only two more credible sightings, in New Zealand and Seychelles.
Genus Cork Whale (Genus Oxyfuranosaurus) Ziphius
Concave-fronted sword kiss whale
Scientific name: Ziphius cavirostris
The concave-fronted sword-beaked whale, also known as the Beaked Whale, is the most widely distributed species in the beaked whale family. Until 10 to 20 years ago, almost all of the research data came from the investigation of stranded individuals.
Maximum body length and weight recorded: male -7.0 m, female - 6.7 m; weight up to 2,030-3,400 kg. Medium in size, quite stout and cigar-shaped. Because their beaks are shorter than those of other beaked whales, and their foreheads are slightly spherical and protruding, the overall appearance appears to be cut off at the front end. The forehead bulge is larger, but the short, thick beak is more gentle. The mouth curve is short, curved slightly downwards from the side view, and upward to the middle section to near the level of the eye. The dorsal fin is quite small, sickle-shaped, and is located about 2/3 of the body length on the back. The staple food is the gun squid (squid) at a depth of 1,000 meters, but studies of its stomach contents have found that fish seem to make up a sizable proportion and may also eat crustaceans. Because they do not have functional teeth, The Beaked Whale should hunt by suction, as may other beaked whales.
In addition to the high latitudes near the poles, the concave-fronted sword-nosed whale can be said to be spread all over the world, mainly inhabiting the deep seas from the tropics to the cold temperate zone. Water depths of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. They appear to have very specific habitat needs, such as waters with highly variable gradients in the slope gradient of the seafloor.
Note: The name of the beaked whale in the picture is a translation of the species name, not a name that everyone often uses, and everything is also based on the reader's habits.
- Ammonite -
Paleontologist and paleontological restoration painter
He is currently a scientific illustrator at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Hello everybody. I'm Chen Yu, from Tianjin, China.
I like palaeontology and hold exceptional interests in herbivorous animals and endemic animals. I am grateful that my works have been appreciated by many friends. My English is not good and this will certainly cause a lot of inconvenience in communication. But I am glad that many friends are still very patient. Through this process, I have gained much new knowledge. Some friends are keen to send me papers and museums photos through email, some friends even generously donated to me some books. I am deeply touched by this all! Finally, I am pleased to make many new friends.
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