Order Artiodactyla Family Ziphiidae Scientific name Mesoplodon bowdoini Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Genus Mesoplodon Higher classification Mesoplodont whale | |
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Similar Hubbs' beaked whale, Hector's beaked whale, Gray's beaked whale, Ginkgo‑toothed beaked whale, Pygmy beaked whale | ||
Andrews' beaked whale (Mesoplodon bowdoini), sometimes known as the deep-crest beaked whale or splay-toothed whale, is one of the most poorly known members of a poorly known genus. This species is noteworthy for not having yet been observed in the wild (as of 2008).
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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 rather robust in comparison with other members of the genus. The melon is rather low, and the beak is short and thick. The lower jaw is fairly peculiar in that halfway through it rises up significantly with the teeth extending over the rostrum (beak). 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" marking between the blowhole and dorsal fin on its back. Males also carry scars typical of the genus. Females are slate gray with grayish-white flanks and belly. Cookie cutter shark bites are present in both genders. Females are believed to reach at least 4.9 meters (16 feet) and males 4.5 meters (15 feet). The young are believed to be around 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) long when born.
Behavior
The calving season may be during summer and autumn off New Zealand. Otherwise, any behavior is completely unknown.
Population and distribution
Andrews' beaked whales live in the Southern Hemisphere, and the precise range is uncertain. Some 35 stranded specimens have been recorded in Australia and New Zealand, Macquarie Island, the Falkland Islands, and Tristan da Cunha. That range may imply a circumpolar distribution. However, there are no confirmed sightings to confirm this.
Conservation
Andrews' beaked whale has never been hunted, and there are no records of it being caught in fishing gear. In addition, Andrews’ beaked whale is covered by the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Cetaceans MOU).