Mesoplodon perrini
Perrin's Beaked Whale [+]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Ziphiidae
Genus: Mesoplodon
species: Mesoplodon perrini
+ITIS +WoRMS +Conservation Status

Description & Behavior

Perrin's beaked whale, Mesoplodon perrini (Dalebout, Mead, Baker, Baker and van Helden, 2002), is similar to Hector's beaked whale in appearance. The two species were thought to be the same until as recently as 2002 when genetic data was analyzed based on the 5 individuals measured found stranded on the coast of California (between 33°55'N, 117°15'W and 36°37'N, 121°55'W from May 1975 to September 1997). It is thought that the Perrin's beaked whale reaches up to 4.5 m in length. The beak of Perrin's beaked whale is shorter than any other Mesoplodon, with the exception of Hector's and pygmy beaked whales. Adult male Perrin's beaked whales have large triangular tusks located behind the tip of the lower jaw.

They are dark gray on the dorsal side with whitish coloring on the ventral side. Adult males are characterized by a white patch around the umbilicus and a dark gray mask that extends from the cape to the eye. The ventral surface of the flukes have white striations.

Beaked Whales (Family Ziphiidae)
These medium-sized to moderately large whales have a single pair of grooves on the throat. There is a distinct snout, and often the few teeth present are visible only in adult males. They have a single nostril or blowhole. Beaked whales are generally slender with a small dorsal fin placed towards the rear on the back. The rear edge of the flukes usually lacks a well-defined notch. These whales are deep divers and are rarely seen. Many species are known only from a few specimens, and little is known about the life history and biology of the group. All members of this family, except Blainville's beaked whale, are difficult to distinguish from each other, and study by museum experts is usually necessary for identification.

World Range & Habitat

The only Perrin's beaked whales, Mesoplodon perrini, identified to date were found between southern and central California. Therefore, it is likely that this species is limited to the North Pacific Ocean.

» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips] | Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | [about]

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

Based on a limited sample of stomach contents of the Perrin's beaked whale, Mesoplodon perrini, this species feeds primarily on squids.

Life History

No available data.

Comments

No available data.

References & Further Research

BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia

CMS: Mesoplodon perrini, Perrin's beaked whale
Mesoplodon perrini (Perrin's beaked whale) - OBIS-SEAMAP - Species Profiles
Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation (CCRC) - Beaked whales (+ videos)
DALEBOUT, M. L. 2002. Species identity, genetic diversity, and molecular systematic relationships among the Ziphiidae (beaked whales). Ph.D. dissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
DALEBOUT, M. L., J. G. MEAD, C. S. BAKER, A. N. BAKER, AND A. L. VAN HELDEN. 2002. A new species of beaked whale Mesoplodon perrini sp. n. (Cetacea Ziphiidae) discovered through phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Marine Mammal Science 18:577-608.
PITMAN, R. L. 2002. Mesoplodont whales Mesoplodon spp. Pp. 738-742 in W. F. Perrin, B. Würsig and J. G. M. Thewis

Search the Web for Perrin's Beaked Whale » ARKive ~ Ask.com ~ Ask Jeeves ~ bing ~ deviantART ~ dmoz ~ Dogpile ~ Google Images ~ MySpace Images ~ OceanFootage ~ Picsearch ~ StumbleUpon ~ Yahoo! Images ~ YouTube

Feedback?

Citation: Mesoplodon perrini, Perrin's Beaked Whale - MarineBio.org. Retrieved , from .

Get Involved! Join the MarineBio Society | Partners & Sponsors | Frontline Marine Conservation Support

~ Sharing the wonders of the ocean to inspire conservation, education, research, and a sea ethic ~
MarineBio.org, Inc. is a US 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization: info@marinebio.org | +1 (713) 248.2576 PST
All MarineBio Society memberships and donations are tax deductible in the United States.
© 1998-2009 Copyright & Terms of Use. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.
><((((°> Surf with

and Google Chrome >-<°°>-<

Mesoplodon perrini Perrin's Beaked Whale [+]