Japanese beaked whale

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Japanese beaked whale
Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Whales (cetacea)
Subordination : Toothed whales (Odontoceti)
Family : Beaked whales (Ziphiidae)
Genre : Two-toothed whale ( Mesoplodon )
Type : Japanese beaked whale
Scientific name
Mesoplodon ginkgodens
Nishiwaki & Kamiya , 1958
Distribution map of the Japanese beaked whale
Japanese beaked whale skull

The Japanese beaked whale ( Mesoplodon ginkgodens ) is a species of whale from the family of the beaked whales (Ziphiidae). The species was described by Japanese zoologists in 1958 and named after the first place where it was found, Japan. The specific epithet ( ginkgodens ) and the English name (Ginkgo-toothed Whale) allude to the fact that the two teeth of the lower jaw are reminiscent of the leaves of the Ginkgo tree. In adult males, these teeth protrude from the back of the closed mouth, in females and young animals they are hidden.

distribution

So far, Japanese beaked whales are only known from strandings that are occupied along the coasts of the central Pacific and the northern Indian Ocean . Dead animals were found in Japan , Taiwan , eastern Australia , the Chatham Islands , California , the west coast of Mexico , Sri Lanka and in the Strait of Malacca . Due to the sparse data situation, no information can be given on the total number or risk.

features

These whales are gray in color, with the females becoming lighter and larger than the males. In the males, the front half of the beak is light. The lower jaw is arched in the middle, so that the gap in the mouth resembles a lying S. In the middle of the lower jaw of the male sits the eponymous ginkgo-leaf-shaped tooth, which is visible even when the mouth is closed. The largest specimen found so far was 4.9 meters long and weighed around two tons. As there have been no sightings of live animals, their way of life is unknown. Like the other two-toothed whales, they are likely to be mainly residents of the open seas and live together in pairs or small groups, and feed primarily on squid . In contrast to the other representatives of their genus, the males of this species do not show any scars indicating rivalry.

literature

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

Web links

Commons : Japanese beaked whale  - Collection of images, videos and audio files