Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps)
Image from UNCW Marine Mammal Program Taken under NOAA scientific permit #948-1692-00 Courtesy of NOAA
Species Description: - Small and robust body that tapers near the fluke - Body coloration is counter-shaded, ranging from brown to - Small, low, rounded dorsal fin dark blue gray on their dorsal surface, to white to soft pink - Pointed snout, underslung and bracket-shaped pigment pattern on their ventral surface (false gill slit) make the head appear "shark-like" - Average length at physical maturity is ~ 11.5 ft (3.5 m) - Single blowhole on top of head - Average weight at physical maturity is ~ 700 – 1,100 lb - Males and females are of similar size (315 – 500 kg)
Behavior: Reproduction: - Appear sluggish and slow moving - Lifespan estimated to be 23 years - Typically seen lying motionless or “logging” at the surface - Sexual maturity reached at 4-5 years - Roll or sink from view without showing flukes to initiate dive - Gestation period approximately 9 – 11 months - Usually seen as solitary animals or in groups of 6 – 7 - Newborn calves weigh ~ 110 lb (50 kg) - Average swimming speed is ~ 3 knots (1.5 m/s) - Newborn calves are ~ 3.9 ft (1.2 m) in length - May expel dark, ink-like feces to use as an escape - Calving season: March – August mechanism, much like a cephalopod
Diet: - Cephalopods Threats / Conservation: (squid and octopus) - Not Endangered - Deep sea fishes - Protected underConservation/ the Marine Mammal Protection Threats: Act - Crustaceans (MMPA) in the United States (crabs and shrimp) - Bycatch from driftnets, gillnets, and purse seine operations - Feed in mid- to deep water environments - Potential ship strike due to logging behavior - Estimated diving capabilities of up to > 3000 ft (1,000 m) - Vulnerable to impacts of anthropogenic acoustic activity in search of prey - In the US, ingestion of plastics and marine debris is the primary human impact Species Distribution: - Usually found in tropical, subtropical, or temperate waters in oceans worldwide - Oceanic pelagic species living mostly beyond the continental shelf - Based on stranding data, they are more abundant off the coasts of the mid-Atlantic and southeastern US - Because of their secretive, deep diving behavior good estimates of population numbers are lacking Courtesy of NOAA Pygmy Sperm Whale Range Map Strandings in North Carolina: - From 1992 to 2013, 93 pygmy sperm whales stranded in North Carolina, averaging four strandings per year - Most commonly stranded pelagic odontocete, frequently live-strand - Strandings occur most commonly from spring through fall - 32 total strandings in spring, 21 total in summer, followed by 28 in fall over 21 years UNCW Standing Program under NOAA SA References: Information for this document came primarily from NOAA’s Office of Protected Resources website. Other references included: Guide to Mammals of the Southeastern US by Larry Brown Produced by UNCW student Jade Holder, 2014