Southern bottlenose whale
Encyclopedia
The Southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) is a species
of whale
, in the ziphiid family
, one of two members of the Hyperoodon genus. The southern bottlenose has been rarely observed, was seldom hunted, and is probably the most abundant whale in Antarctic
waters.
is extremely bluff. The beak is long and white on males but grey on females. The dorsal fin
is relatively small at 30 – and set behind the middle of the back. It is falcate (sickle-shaped) and usually pointed. The back is light-to-mid grey. It has a lighter underside.
. It is found as far south as the Antarctic coast and as north as the tip of South Africa
, New Zealand
's North Island and the southern parts of Brazil
. The global population is unknown.
Sightings of bottlenose whales in tropical and subtropical waters belong to a poorly known species, Longman's beaked whale
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
, in the ziphiid family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, one of two members of the Hyperoodon genus. The southern bottlenose has been rarely observed, was seldom hunted, and is probably the most abundant whale in Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
waters.
Physical description
It is fairly rotund and measures 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) in length when physically mature. The melonMelon (whale)
The melon is an ovoid-shaped, fatty organ found in the forehead of all toothed whales , including dolphins and porpoises and believed to be used in echolocation....
is extremely bluff. The beak is long and white on males but grey on females. The dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is relatively small at 30 – and set behind the middle of the back. It is falcate (sickle-shaped) and usually pointed. The back is light-to-mid grey. It has a lighter underside.
Population and distribution
The southern bottlenose whale has a circumpolar distribution in the Southern OceanSouthern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
. It is found as far south as the Antarctic coast and as north as the tip of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island and the southern parts of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The global population is unknown.
Sightings of bottlenose whales in tropical and subtropical waters belong to a poorly known species, Longman's beaked whale
Longman's Beaked Whale
The tropical bottlenose whale , also known as the Indo-Pacific beaked whale and the Longman's beaked whale, was considered to be the world's rarest cetacean until recently, but the spade-toothed whale now holds that position. The species has had a long history riddled with misidentifications, which...
.
Conservation
The southern bottlenose whale is not believed to be threatened by human actions. The species has seldom been hunted. Forty-two were caught in the Antarctic by Soviet whalers between 1970 and 1982.Specimens
- MNZ MM002233 Southern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon planifrons, collected from peninsula at entrance to Ohiwa lagoon, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand on 2 April 1996.