Camperdown whale

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Camperdown whale
Autopsy of stranded camperdown whales

Autopsy of stranded camperdown whales

Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Whales (cetacea)
Subordination : Toothed whales (Odontoceti)
Family : Beaked whales (Ziphiidae)
Genre : Two-toothed whale ( Mesoplodon )
Type : Camperdown whale
Scientific name
Mesoplodon grayi
von Haast , 1876

The camperdown whale ( Mesoplodon grayi ), also known as the gray two-toothed whale , is a species of whale from the beaked whale family (Ziphiidae). With its long snout and the teeth in the upper jaw it differs from the other representatives of the genus of the two-toothed whale ( Mesoplodon ).

distribution

Distribution area

This species of whale lives in a circumpolar manner in the waters of the southern hemisphere . Strandings are documented from New Zealand , Australia , South Africa , Chile and Argentina , sightings of living animals are reported mainly from the southern Indian Ocean . A stranding in the Netherlands may indicate that these whales occasionally migrate northwards.

description

Camperdown whales have an elongated, white snout that contains 34 to 44 small teeth in the upper jaw in addition to the two large triangular teeth of the lower jaw. Her body is dark gray in color, and there are light, irregular spots on her stomach. The jaws turn white with age. Females grow slightly larger than males, reaching up to 5.6 meters, while males are no more than 4.7 meters long.

Unlike other two-toothed whales, camperdown whales live together in larger schools. A mass stranding of 28 animals is known from the 19th century, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the group size. Like most beaked whales, they feed primarily on octopus and are considered good, persistent divers.

Frequent sightings and strandings suggest the camperdown whale is among the more common beaked whales, but exact data is not available.

literature

  • Rüdiger Wandrey: Whales and Seals of the World. Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH, 1997, ISBN 3-440-07047-6 .

Web links

Commons : Camperdown whale ( Mesoplodon grayi )  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files