Cuvier's beaked whale
| Cuvier's beaked whale | ||||||||||||
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Cuvier's beaked whale ( Ziphius cavirostris ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Ziphius | ||||||||||||
| G. Cuvier , 1823 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Ziphius cavirostris | ||||||||||||
| Cuvier , 1823 |
The Cuvier's beaked whale ( Ziphius cavirostris ) is the most widespread species of the beaked whale . It bears its German name after the naturalist Georges Cuvier , who described the previously unknown animal in 1823. With a diving depth of 3 km and a diving time of over 2 hours, they are the record holders in deep and long diving among all mammals - even before the southern elephant seal .
features
This whale's beak is shorter than other beaked whales and actually resembles a goose's beak . The animal becomes 7 m long and weighs three tons. The color is a different shade of gray or brown for each individual; creamy white or black Cuvier beaked whales also occur. There are only two functioning teeth in the lower jaw, all other teeth in the upper and lower jaw are stunted. These two teeth are much larger and more developed in the male than in the female.
distribution
Cuvier's beaked whales live in all three oceans. They inhabit tropical, subtropical, and temperate latitudes and have been seen even in sub-polar waters.
Way of life
Like all beaked whales, they dive long and deep and feed primarily on octopus . With a maximum diving depth of 2992 m and a diving time of 137.5 minutes off the coast of Southern California , they hold the record for the measured diving depth and diving length among all mammals. The analysis of more than 1000 deep dives showed an average depth of 1400 m. These dives are made possible by a particularly high content of the oxygen- transporting protein myoglobin in the muscle cells . The scientific evaluation of the dives of seven Cuvier's beaked whales in the Ligurian Sea showed that depths of 1900 meters were reached. Each dive lasted an hour on average.
Threat and protection
The Cuvier's beaked whale has never been of interest to commercial whaling . Japanese fishermen occasionally catch it and take its meat to local fish markets, but not in significant numbers.
Web links
- Wonder of nature: the unknown world diving champion . In: taz.de from March 23, 2019.
- Ziphius cavirostris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Cetacean Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 9 May, 2006.
Individual evidence
- ^ Gregory S. Schorr, Erin A. Falcone, David J. Moretti, Russel D. Andrews: First Long-Term Behavioral Records from Cuvier's Beaked Whales (Ziphius cavirostris) Reveal Record-Breaking Dives. PLOS, March 26, 2014, accessed March 27, 2014 .
- ↑ Jonathan Amos: Beaked whale is deep-dive champion. BBC, March 26, 2014, accessed March 26, 2014 .
- ↑ Wissenschaft.de - "Record in extreme diving goes to the beaked whales", October 23, 2006