Gray's beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi), sometimes known as Haast's beaked whale, the scamperdown whale, or the southern beaked whale, is one of the better-known members of the genus Mesoplodon. This species is fairly gregarious and strands relatively frequently for a beaked whale. In the Māori language, this species is called hakurā or iheihe.[3]
The species was first described in 1876 by Julius von Haast, director of the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand. He named it after the British taxonomist John Edward Gray, a zoologist at the British Museum. His description was based on three skulls he had received in May 1875 from a Louis Walter Hood Esq. (1837 – 11 February 1912, generally known as Walter) the storekeeper at Waitangi, Chatham Island, who had retrieved them from three specimens that were part of a group of 28 individuals that had stranded on Waitangi Beach in the summer of 1874–75.[4]
Description
Skeleton of Gray's beaked whale
Gray's beaked whale is a fairly slender member of the genus. The melon on the whale bulges towards the blowhole and slopes down towards the beak. The beak itself is very long and pointed for a beaked whale, and has a relatively straight mouth line. In both sexes, 17–22 small teeth per row located towards the back of the mouth have been reported, but not confirmed. In males, two small, triangular teeth are present halfway down the mouth. The overall coloration is dark on top and light below, and both sexes have a white beak. Females are lighter on top and have additional white markings near the genitals. Adult males often carry linear scars that probably result from fighting, and both males and females may display circular scars from cookiecutter shark bites.[5]M. grayi are 5.5 to 6.0 m (18.0 to 19.7 ft) long and weigh around 1,100 kg (2,400 lb).[6] They are believed to be around 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) long when born.
Behavior
An adult female, one of five Gray's beaked whales that stranded at Port Waikato, New Zealand, in 2011
Gray's beaked whale is very gregarious. It has a tendency to strand in large groups, once involving 28 individuals. Other strandings involved five to eight animals. The upper teeth may be used in holding prey, but why only this species has them is not clear.
Gray's beaked whale is said to be the most common species of whale to beach in New Zealand.[7] Two whales that stranded themselves on Opape Beach in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, in December 2010, were initially thought to be Gray's beaked whales, but later found to be the very rare spade-toothed whale.[7]
Population and distribution
This species typically lives in the Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 45°, and is typically observed at depths of 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[6] Many strandings have occurred off New Zealand, but others have happened off Australia, South Africa, South America, and the Falkland Islands. This species has been sighted in groups off the coast of Madagascar and in the Antarctic area. Oddly, one specimen stranded off the Netherlands, in a different hemisphere and several thousand miles away from all other strandings. No population estimates exist, but they are believed to be rather common.
Conservation
These whales have not been hunted deliberately and they have not been entangled in fishing gear. Gray's beaked whale is included in the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia (Western African Aquatic Mammals MoU) and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Cetaceans MoU)
Specimens
MNZ MM002134 Gray's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon grayi, collected Black Reef, Cape Kidnappers, Hawke Bay, New Zealand, 18 March 1993.
^Pitman, R.L.; Taylor, B.L. (2020). "Mesoplodon grayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T13247A50366236. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T13247A50366236.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^"On a New Ziphioid Whale. By Julius von Haast, Ph.D. F.R.S., Director of the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand. Communicated by Prof. W. H. Flower, F. R.S." Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (January, 1876), pp. 7-13.
^Gray's Beaked Whale, Australian Museum. Updated 13 October 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
^ abSatherley, Dan (6 November 2012). "World's rarest whale stranded on NZ beach". 3 News NZ.[dead link]
Bibliography
Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Edited by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J.G.M Thewissen. Academic Press, 2002. ISBN0-12-551340-2
Sea Mammals of the World. Written by Randall R. Reeves, Brent S. Steward, Phillip J. Clapham, and James A. Owell. A & C Black, London, 2002. ISBN0-7136-6334-0
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mesoplodon grayi.
Factsheets - Gray's Beaked Whale
Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)
Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia.
Official webpage of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region
August 23, 2023
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Gray s beaked whale Mesoplodon grayi sometimes known as Haast s beaked whale the scamperdown whale or the southern beaked whale is one of the better known members of the genus Mesoplodon This species is fairly gregarious and strands relatively frequently for a beaked whale In the Maori language this species is called hakura or iheihe 3 Gray s beaked whaleStranded individualSize compared to an average humanConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 CITES Appendix II CITES 2 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder ArtiodactylaInfraorder CetaceaFamily ZiphiidaeGenus MesoplodonSpecies M grayiBinomial nameMesoplodon grayivon Haast 1876Gray s beaked whale range Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Behavior 4 Population and distribution 5 Conservation 6 Specimens 7 See also 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External linksTaxonomy EditThe species was first described in 1876 by Julius von Haast director of the Canterbury Museum Christchurch New Zealand He named it after the British taxonomist John Edward Gray a zoologist at the British Museum His description was based on three skulls he had received in May 1875 from a Louis Walter Hood Esq 1837 11 February 1912 generally known as Walter the storekeeper at Waitangi Chatham Island who had retrieved them from three specimens that were part of a group of 28 individuals that had stranded on Waitangi Beach in the summer of 1874 75 4 Description Edit Skeleton of Gray s beaked whaleGray s beaked whale is a fairly slender member of the genus The melon on the whale bulges towards the blowhole and slopes down towards the beak The beak itself is very long and pointed for a beaked whale and has a relatively straight mouth line In both sexes 17 22 small teeth per row located towards the back of the mouth have been reported but not confirmed In males two small triangular teeth are present halfway down the mouth The overall coloration is dark on top and light below and both sexes have a white beak Females are lighter on top and have additional white markings near the genitals Adult males often carry linear scars that probably result from fighting and both males and females may display circular scars from cookiecutter shark bites 5 M grayi are 5 5 to 6 0 m 18 0 to 19 7 ft long and weigh around 1 100 kg 2 400 lb 6 They are believed to be around 2 4 m 7 ft 10 in long when born Behavior Edit An adult female one of five Gray s beaked whales that stranded at Port Waikato New Zealand in 2011Gray s beaked whale is very gregarious It has a tendency to strand in large groups once involving 28 individuals Other strandings involved five to eight animals The upper teeth may be used in holding prey but why only this species has them is not clear Gray s beaked whale is said to be the most common species of whale to beach in New Zealand 7 Two whales that stranded themselves on Opape Beach in the Bay of Plenty New Zealand in December 2010 were initially thought to be Gray s beaked whales but later found to be the very rare spade toothed whale 7 Population and distribution EditThis species typically lives in the Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 45 and is typically observed at depths of 2 000 m 6 600 ft 6 Many strandings have occurred off New Zealand but others have happened off Australia South Africa South America and the Falkland Islands This species has been sighted in groups off the coast of Madagascar and in the Antarctic area Oddly one specimen stranded off the Netherlands in a different hemisphere and several thousand miles away from all other strandings No population estimates exist but they are believed to be rather common Conservation EditThese whales have not been hunted deliberately and they have not been entangled in fishing gear Gray s beaked whale is included in the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia Western African Aquatic Mammals MoU and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region Pacific Cetaceans MoU Specimens EditMNZ MM002134 Gray s Beaked Whale Mesoplodon grayi collected Black Reef Cape Kidnappers Hawke Bay New Zealand 18 March 1993 See also Edit Cetaceans portal Mammals portal Marine life portalList of cetaceansReferences Edit Pitman R L Taylor B L 2020 Mesoplodon grayi IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020 e T13247A50366236 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2020 3 RLTS T13247A50366236 en Retrieved 19 November 2021 Appendices CITES cites org Retrieved 2022 01 14 Haami Bradford 12 June 2006 Te whanau puha whales Whales in Maori tradition Te Ara the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Retrieved 15 June 2021 On a New Ziphioid Whale By Julius von Haast Ph D F R S Director of the Canterbury Museum Christchurch New Zealand Communicated by Prof W H Flower F R S Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London January 1876 pp 7 13 Gray s Beaked Whale Australian Museum Updated 13 October 2009 Retrieved 13 January 2011 a b Wang Arthur Mesoplodon grayi Gray s beaked whale Retrieved 18 October 2014 a b Satherley Dan 6 November 2012 World s rarest whale stranded on NZ beach 3 News NZ dead link Bibliography EditEncyclopedia of Marine Mammals Edited by William F Perrin Bernd Wursig and J G M Thewissen Academic Press 2002 ISBN 0 12 551340 2 Sea Mammals of the World Written by Randall R Reeves Brent S Steward Phillip J Clapham and James A Owell A amp C Black London 2002 ISBN 0 7136 6334 0External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mesoplodon grayi Factsheets Gray s Beaked Whale Cetaceans of the World CMS Whale amp Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia Official webpage of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gray 27s beaked whale amp oldid 1145614140, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
