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
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
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 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.
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 western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
() 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. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...
(a 3.6 m (11.8 ft) female found at Salinas State Beach), and a fresh specimen in
Humboldt County, CA 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 () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, although this stranding is considered extralimital.
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. 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 overbridge, south of Kaikōura
Kaikōura (; ) is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, located on New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1, north of Christchurch. The town has an estimated permanent resident population of as of . Kaikōura is th ...
, New Zealand, 19 October 1993.
See also
* List of cetaceans
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