BEAKED WHALES SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION FAST FACTS FUN FACTS ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION BIBLIOGRAPHY MENU - CETACEA SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION COMMON NAME: Beaked whales, bottlenose whales (genera Hyperoodon and Berardius), ziphiids. KINGDOM: Animalia PHYLUM: Chordata CLASS: Mammalia ORDER: Cetacea SUBORDER: Odontoceti FAMILY: Ziphiidae GENUS SPECIES: 21 Species in 6 genera (listed alphabetically) • Andrews’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon bowdoini • Arnoux’s beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii • Baird’s beaked whale, Berardius bairdii • Blainville’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris • Cuvier’s beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris • Gervais’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus • ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodensis • Gray’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi • Hector’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori • Hubbs’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon carlhubbsi • Longman’s beaked whale (also called Indo-Pacific beaked whale), Indopacetus pacificus • northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus • Perrin’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon perrini • pygmy beaked whale, Mesoplodon peruvianus • southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons • spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii • Sowerby’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens • Stejneger’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon stejnegeri • strap-toothed whale, Mesoplodon layardii • Tasman beaked whale, Tasmacetus shepardi • True’s beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus RETURN TO TOP FAST FACTS DESCRIPTION: Beaked whales, as their name implies, have an obvious beak, or rostrum, of various lengths. They also have a pair of throat grooves below and behind the lower jaw. A notable characteristic is a slight depression or pocket of the body wall that allows a beaked whale to hold its pectoral flippers tightly against its body. The tail flukes are relatively large and lack a median notch, which is seen in most other cetacean species. A characteristic that helps to distinguish beaked whale species from each other is their teeth. Most species only have one pair of teeth in the lower jaw and in most species only males have teeth. The size, shape, and position of these teeth differ between species. In a few species, the teeth are exposed when the mouth is closed. SIZE: Beaked whales are medium to large whales; females are generally larger than males. The largest is Baird’s beaked whale: adult females reach about 12.8 m (42 ft.) and 12,000 kg (26,455 lb.). The smallest is probably the pygmy beaked whale, which reaches about 3.7 m (12 ft.). DIET: Squid and fishes, presumably deepwater species; beaked whales, use suction to bring food into the mouth. The throat grooves of beaked whales aid in suction by stretching to expand the mouth. GESTATION: Estimates not available for most species • Bottlenose whales – 12 months SEXUAL MATURITY: The length at sexual maturity varies throughout species. Reproductive data is not available for most beaked whale species. FEMALE • Gervais’ beaked whale – 4.5 m (14.76 ft.) • Baird’s beaked whale – 10.5 m (34.44 ft.) • Bottlenose whales – 6.7 m (22.64 ft.) MALE • Baird’s beaked whale – 10 m (32.81 ft.) • Bottlenose whales – 7.5 m (24.61 ft.) LIFE SPAN: Varies throughout species; estimates not available for most species • Baird’s beaked whale – 84 years (male) • Cuvier’s beaked whale – 40 to 60 years • Northern bottlenose whale – at least 37 years RANGE: Varies with species • Some species have a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and cool temperate waters, like Cuvier’s beaked whale. • A few species, like Arnoux’s beaked whale, are circumpolar in the Southern Hemisphere. • Some species have very limited distributions, such as Hubbs’ beaked whale, which is found in the north eastern Pacific Ocean. HABITAT: Beaked whales inhabit offshore waters that are at least 300 m (1,000 ft.) deep. POPULATION: REGIONAL STATUS: IUCN All species listed as Data Deficient with the exception of the following • Baird’s beaked whale, both species of bottlenose whales, and Arnoux’s beaked whale are all listed as Lower Risk/Conservation Dependant. CITES Appendix I USFWS Not Listed RETURN TO TOP FUN FACTS 1. Beaked whale species also are known for deep diving. For Baird’s and Arnoux’s beaked whales, for example, dives to depths of 1,000 m (3,037 ft.) for as long as 45 minutes are not unusual. 2. Researchers theorize that male beaked whales use their teeth only for establishing dominance and for displays of aggression and competition, not for feeding. These interactions leave superficial lacerations which soon heal. Traces of light parallel stripes may remain on the skin. 3. For more information please visit the WHALES infobook. RETURN TO TOP ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION Few population estimates exist for each beaked whale species.This is due to the fact that they are difficult to find and difficult to identify at sea. Some species are hunted or entangle in gillnets in deep water. Some species, such as Cuvier’s beaked whales, may be vulnerable to certain types of noise which could jeopardize their survival in areas of industrial, military, or recreational activity. Mass strandings in the Mediterranean Sea and the Bahamas have been potentially linked to military exercises involving underwater sound transmissions. Like sperm whales, northern bottlenose whales have spermaceti in their heads, and with their body oil, they were valuable targets for 19th and 20th century whalers. Whaling definitely reduced their abundance in some areas, especially the northeastern Atlantic. RETURN TO TOP BIBLIOGRAPHY IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <http://www.iucnredlist.org>. Jefferson, T.J. Leatherwood, S. and M.A. Webber. FAO Species Identification Guide. Marine Mammals of the World. Rome. FAO, 1993. Leatherwood, Stephen, and Reeves, Randall R. The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1983. Perrin, W. F., Wursig, B., Thewissen, J. G. M. Eds. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, 2002. Reeves, R. R., Stewart, B.S., Clapman, P.J., and J.A. Powell (Peter Folkens illustrator). National Audubon Society: Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. New York: Random House, 2002. Ridgway, S. H. and R. J. Harrison, Eds. (1981). Handbook of Marine Mammals (Vol. I-V). San Francisco, The Academic Press. Beaked Whales Identification Guide. http://vertebrates.si.edu/mammals/beaked_whales/pages/routing_main.htm RETURN TO TOP RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE .