Mollymawk
Encyclopedia
The mollymawks are a group of medium sized albatross
es that form the genus
Thalassarche. The name has sometimes been used for the genus
Phoebetria as well, but these are correctly called sooty albatross
es. They are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere
, where they are the most common of the albatrosses. They were long considered to be in the same genus as the great albatross
es, Diomedea, but a study of their mitochondrial DNA
showed that they are a monophyletic taxon related to the sooty albatross
es, and they were placed in their own genus.
order, along with Shearwater
s, Fulmar
s, Storm-petrel
s, and Diving-petrels. They share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the Albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between 7 and 9 horny plates. They also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose. Finally, they produce a stomach oil made up of wax ester
s and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus
. This is used against predators as well as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. The fossil
species Thalassarche thyridata known from a skull fragment from the Late Miocene
of Victoria, Australia shows that the genus had already diverged from the sooty albatrosses 10 mya.
-like plumage
, with dark black backs, mantle and tails and lighter heads, underwings and bellies. The heads of several species are often slightly darker grey, or have dark around the eyes. They all have a colorful pinkish flesh stripe from their gape
to their ear that is shown during displays. They have distinctive bill structure and coloring which makes for easier identifying than other Albatross. The bill
s of mollymawks are either brightly coloured orange or yellow, or dark with several bright yellow lines.
Mollymawk Island
near South Georgia gains its name from them.
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
es that form the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Thalassarche. The name has sometimes been used for the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Phoebetria as well, but these are correctly called sooty albatross
Sooty albatross
The sooty albatrosses are small albatrosses from the genus Phoebetria. There are two species, the Sooty Albatross, Phoebetria fusca, and the Light-mantled Albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata...
es. They are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, where they are the most common of the albatrosses. They were long considered to be in the same genus as the great albatross
Great albatross
The great albatrosses are seabirds in the genus Diomedea in the albatross family. The genus Diomedea formerly included all albatrosses except the sooty albatrosses, but in 1996 the genus was split with the mollymawks and the North Pacific albatrosses both being elevated to separate genera...
es, Diomedea, but a study of their mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
showed that they are a monophyletic taxon related to the sooty albatross
Sooty albatross
The sooty albatrosses are small albatrosses from the genus Phoebetria. There are two species, the Sooty Albatross, Phoebetria fusca, and the Light-mantled Albatross, Phoebetria palpebrata...
es, and they were placed in their own genus.
Etymology
The name mollymawk was coined in the 17th century from the German rendering of the Dutch Mallemugge, which meant mal - foolish and mok - gull.Taxonomy
Mollymawks are a type of Albatross that belong to Diomedeidae family and come from the ProcellariiformesProcellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
order, along with Shearwater
Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds. There are more than 30 species of shearwaters, a few larger ones in the genus Calonectris and many smaller species in the genus Puffinus...
s, Fulmar
Fulmar
Fulmars are seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two that are extinct.-Taxonomy:As members of Procellaridae and then the order Procellariiformes, they share certain traits. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called...
s, Storm-petrel
Storm-petrel
Storm petrels are seabirds in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.Storm petrels have a cosmopolitan...
s, and Diving-petrels. They share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the Albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between 7 and 9 horny plates. They also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose. Finally, they produce a stomach oil made up of wax ester
Wax ester
An ester of a fatty acid and a long-chain alcohol. These oils have similar properties as triglycerides, but are indigestible. They are found in some fish such as orange roughy, oilfish, escolar, black oreo, smooth oreo and other deep water fish. They are also present in marine copepods. Wax...
s and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus
Proventriculus
The proventriculus is part of the digestive system of birds, invertebrates and insects.-Birds:The proventriculus is a standard part of avian anatomy...
. This is used against predators as well as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
species Thalassarche thyridata known from a skull fragment from the Late Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
of Victoria, Australia shows that the genus had already diverged from the sooty albatrosses 10 mya.
Species
- Thalassarche chlororhynchos, Atlantic Yellow-nosed AlbatrossAtlantic Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThe Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, Thalassarche chlororhynchos, is a large seabird in the albatross family. This small mollymawk was once considered conspecific with the Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross and known as the Yellow-nosed Albatross...
- Thalassarche carteri, Indian Yellow-nosed AlbatrossIndian Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThe Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Thalassarche carteri, in the albatross family, and is the smallest of the mollymawks. In 2004, BirdLife International split this species from the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross; however Clements has not split it yet, and the SACC has not either, but recognizes...
- Thalassarche bulleri, Buller's AlbatrossBuller's AlbatrossBuller's Albatross or Buller's Mollymawk, Thalassarche bulleri, is a small mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds on islands around New Zealand, and feeds in the seas off Australia and the South Pacific.-Taxonomy:...
- Thalassarche cauta, Shy AlbatrossShy AlbatrossThe Shy Albatross or Shy Mollymawk, Thalassarche cauta, is a medium sized albatross that breeds off Australia and New Zealand's sub-Antarctic islands and ranges extensively across the Southern Ocean...
- Thalassarche steadi, White-capped AlbatrossWhite-capped AlbatrossThe White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche steadi, is a mollymawk that breeds on the islands off of New Zealand. Not all experts agree that this form should be recognized as a separate species to the Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta...
- Thalassarche eremita, Chatham AlbatrossChatham AlbatrossThe Chatham Albatross, Chatham Mollymawk, or Chatham Islands Mollymawk, Thalassarche eremita, is a medium-sized black-and-white albatross which breeds only on The Pyramid, a large rock stack in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the Shy Albatross...
- Thalassarche salvini, Salvin's AlbatrossSalvin's AlbatrossSalvin's Albatross, or Salvin's Mollymawk, Thalassarche salvini, is a large seabird that ranges across the Southern Ocean. A medium sized mollymawk in the albatross family, it was long considered to be a subspecies of the Shy Albatross...
- Thalassarche impavida, Campbell AlbatrossCampbell AlbatrossThe Campbell Albatross or Campbell Mollymawk, Thalassarche impavida, is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds only on Campbell Island and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, a small New Zealand island group in the South Pacific. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of...
- Thalassarche chrysostoma, Grey-headed AlbatrossGrey-headed AlbatrossThe Grey-headed Albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma, also known as the Grey-headed Mollymawk, is a large seabird from the albatross family. It has a circumpolar distribution, nesting on isolated islands in the Southern Ocean and feeding at high latitudes, further south than any of the other...
- Thalassarche melanophrys, Black-browed AlbatrossBlack-browed AlbatrossThe Black-browed Albatross or Black-browed Mollymawk, Thalassarche melanophrys, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae, and it is the most widespread and common albatross.-Taxonomy:...
- †Thalassarche thyridata
Description
Mollymawks have the largest range in size of all the Albatross Genera, as their wingspans are 180 to 256 cm (70.9 to 100.8 in). Mollymawks have what has been described as gullGull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
-like plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, with dark black backs, mantle and tails and lighter heads, underwings and bellies. The heads of several species are often slightly darker grey, or have dark around the eyes. They all have a colorful pinkish flesh stripe from their gape
Gape
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together, at the base of the beak...
to their ear that is shown during displays. They have distinctive bill structure and coloring which makes for easier identifying than other Albatross. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
s of mollymawks are either brightly coloured orange or yellow, or dark with several bright yellow lines.
Mollymawk Island
Mollymawk Island
Mollymawk Island is a small, tussock-covered island lying between Seaward Rock and Crescent Island in the north part of the Bay of Isles, South Georgia. It was charted in 1912-13 by Robert Cushman Murphy, American naturalist aboard the brig Daisy...
near South Georgia gains its name from them.