Hyperoodon planifrons
Flower,
1882 (Whale)
Organism information awaits expert curation
Image copyrights: Robert L. Pitman
Organism information awaits expert curation
| Taxonomy | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetartiodactyla |
| Family: | Ziphiidae |
Image copyrights: Robert L. Pitman
Description
Size: Maximum known sizes are 7.8 m for females and about 7.2 m for males. If females are, in fact, larger than males, this species differs from its northern counterpart. However, the disparity is more likely a result of the small sample size of measured animals. Length at birth appears to be around 2 m.
This species resembles the northern bottlenose whale, with a bulbous melon (especially in adult males), tube-like beak, throat grooves, small dorsal fin, small blunt flippers, and flukes with no notch (or only a shallow one).
These animals are light brown to dull yellow. The belly and probably much of the head are lighter. Large animals can be covered with light splotches, scratches, and scars. The colour pattern of young calves is unknown.
There is a single pair of conical teeth at the tip of the lower jaw, which erupts only in adult males, and is not visible outside the closed mouth. There may be a smaller second pair, and several sets of vestigial teeth, as well.
Can be confused with: Arnoux's beaked whales can be distinguished from southern bottlenose whales by differences in dorsal fin and head shape, and from Cuvier's beaked whales and Mesoplodon primarily by head shape and body patterning.
Size: Maximum known sizes are 7.8 m for females and about 7.2 m for males. If females are, in fact, larger than males, this species differs from its northern counterpart. However, the disparity is more likely a result of the small sample size of measured animals. Length at birth appears to be around 2 m.
This species resembles the northern bottlenose whale, with a bulbous melon (especially in adult males), tube-like beak, throat grooves, small dorsal fin, small blunt flippers, and flukes with no notch (or only a shallow one).
These animals are light brown to dull yellow. The belly and probably much of the head are lighter. Large animals can be covered with light splotches, scratches, and scars. The colour pattern of young calves is unknown.
There is a single pair of conical teeth at the tip of the lower jaw, which erupts only in adult males, and is not visible outside the closed mouth. There may be a smaller second pair, and several sets of vestigial teeth, as well.
Can be confused with: Arnoux's beaked whales can be distinguished from southern bottlenose whales by differences in dorsal fin and head shape, and from Cuvier's beaked whales and Mesoplodon primarily by head shape and body patterning.
Synonym (s)
• Hyperoodon (Frasercetus) planifrons Flower, 1882
• Hyperoodon burmeisterei Moreno, 1895
• Hyperoodon planifronts Lahille, 1905
• Hyperoodon rostratum Liouville, 1913
• Hyperoodon rostratus Lillie, 1915
• Hyperoodon (Frasercetus) planifrons Flower, 1882
• Hyperoodon burmeisterei Moreno, 1895
• Hyperoodon planifronts Lahille, 1905
• Hyperoodon rostratum Liouville, 1913
• Hyperoodon rostratus Lillie, 1915
Common Name (s)
• Antarctic Bottlenose
• Flat-headed Bottle-nosed Whale
• Flower's Bottle-nosed Whale
• Pacific Beaked Whale
• Southern Bottlenose Whale (English)
• Antarctic Bottlenose
• Flat-headed Bottle-nosed Whale
• Flower's Bottle-nosed Whale
• Pacific Beaked Whale
• Southern Bottlenose Whale (English)
Economic Importance and Threats
Threats: Anthropogenic
(Killed during whaling for research purpose or they are highly vulnerable to loud anthropogenic sound. )
Threats: Anthropogenic
(Killed during whaling for research purpose or they are highly vulnerable to loud anthropogenic sound. )
Ecology
IUCN Status: Least Concern
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Biogeography
• INDIA
• INDIA
Literature Source(s)
- Pillai, PKM and Augustine, SK (2000) A code list of common marine living resources of the Indian seas CMFRI Special Publication No.12 CMFRI 1-115 Available at - eprints.cmfri.org.in/3975/1/Special_Publication_No_12_Revised.pdf
- Society for the Management of European Biodiversity Data (2009) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) Available at - http://www.marinespecies.org
- Arkive: Images of life on earth Available at - http://www.arkive.org/
- Padmanaban P and Dinesh K.P (2011) A checklist of Marine Mammals of India Marine Biology Reginal centre, Zoological Survey of India 4pp Available at - http://zsi.gov.in/checklist/Marine%20mammals%20of%20India.pdf
- Jefferson, TA; Leatherwood, S and Webber, MA (2006) Marine mammals of the world World biodiversity database Available at - http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/bis/marine_mammals.php?menuentry=inleiding
- (2003) IUCN Red list of threatened species Available at - http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Page last updated on:2012-11-07
