Hector's Beaked Whale
Encyclopedia
Hector's beaked whale is a small mesoplodont living in the Southern Hemisphere. This whale is named after Sir James Hector
, a founder of the colonial museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Some specimens washed up and been sighted in California and once thought to belong to this species have subsequently been shown through analysis of mtDNA and detailed morhological examination to be a new species, Perrin's beaked whale
(Dalebout et al. 2002). The species has rarely been seen in the wild.
Some data supposedly referring to this species, especially juveniles and males, turned out to be based on the misidentified specimens of Perrin's beaked whale - especially since the adult male of Hector's beaked whale was only more recently described. Dalebout et al. (2002) specifically list Mead (1981), Mead (1984), Mead & Baker (1987), Mead (1989), Baker (1990), Jefferson et al. (1993), Mead (1993), Carwardine (1995), Reeves and Leatherwood (1994), Henshaw et al. (1997) and Messenger and McQuire (1998) as erroneously attributing data from the new species to Hector's beaked whale.
and fish
. Because they lack functional teeth, they presumably capture most of their prey by suction.
, Falkland Islands
, Lottering River, South Africa
, Adventure Bay
, Tasmania
, and Tierra del Fuego
, in southern South America
.
James Hector
Sir James Hector was a Scottish geologist, naturalist, and surgeon who accompanied the Palliser Expedition as a surgeon and geologist...
, a founder of the colonial museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Some specimens washed up and been sighted in California and once thought to belong to this species have subsequently been shown through analysis of mtDNA and detailed morhological examination to be a new species, Perrin's beaked whale
Perrin's Beaked Whale
Perrin's beaked whale is the newest species of beaked whale to be described. The first two specimens were found in May 1975 stranded on the California coast, with two more specimens being found in 1978 and 1979, and the last in September 1997...
(Dalebout et al. 2002). The species has rarely been seen in the wild.
Some data supposedly referring to this species, especially juveniles and males, turned out to be based on the misidentified specimens of Perrin's beaked whale - especially since the adult male of Hector's beaked whale was only more recently described. Dalebout et al. (2002) specifically list Mead (1981), Mead (1984), Mead & Baker (1987), Mead (1989), Baker (1990), Jefferson et al. (1993), Mead (1993), Carwardine (1995), Reeves and Leatherwood (1994), Henshaw et al. (1997) and Messenger and McQuire (1998) as erroneously attributing data from the new species to Hector's beaked whale.
Physical description
Reaching a maximum length of about 4.2 meters (1.9 m when born), and with an estimated weight of about 1 tonne (1.032 tons), Hector's is one the smallest of the beaked whales. It is known from only a few stranded animals and a single confirmed sighting of a juvenile off Australia. Hector's beaked whales are dark greyish-brown dorsally, paler ventrally. A single adult male specimen had a white beak and white on the anterior portion of the head, with white, linear scars criss-crossing its body, while the juvenile seen off Western Australia had a mask covering its eyes and extending unto its melon and upper beak. The melon, which is not very prominent, slopes quite steeply to the short beak. Adult males have a pair of flattened, triangular teeth near the tip of the lower jaw. As with most other beaked whales, the teeth do not erupt in females. The dorsal fin is triangular to slightly hooked, small, and rounded at the tip. The leading edge of the dorsal fin joins the body at a sharp angle.Diet
Nothing is known about the diet of this species, although it is assumed to feed on deepwater squidSquid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. Because they lack functional teeth, they presumably capture most of their prey by suction.
Behavior
With only two probable sightings, there is little information on the behavior of this whale. This species may be unusual for a mesoplodont because, in both sightings, one of the animals seemed inquisitive and actually approached the boat. Body scarring suggests there may be extensive fighting between males, which is common in beaked whales.Breeding
Nothing is known about breeding in this species. Sightings are rare due to their deep-ocean distribution, elusive behaviour and possible low numbers.Population and Distribution
Hector's beaked whale has a circumpolar distribution in cool temperate Southern Hemisphere waters between approximately 35° and 55°S. Most records are from New Zealand, but there are also reports from Falkland SoundFalkland Sound
The Falkland Sound is a sea strait in the Falkland Islands. Running south west - north east, it separates West and East Falkland.-Name:The sound was named by John Strong in 1690 for Viscount Falkland, the name only later being applied to the archipelago and its two largest islands...
, Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, Lottering River, 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...
, Adventure Bay
Adventure Bay
Adventure Bay is a bay on Bruny Island in southeastern Tasmania. Discovered in 1773 by Tobias Furneaux, it was named after his ship, HMS Adventure. James Cook explored the region in 1777, as did William Bligh in 1788 and 1792....
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, and Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
, in southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Conservation
This species has never been hunted at all, and has not entangled itself in fishing gear. Most sightings of the whale have been stranded specimens on beaches, particularly in New Zealand.Specimens
- MNZ MM001834 - 16 July 1980; Kaikoura, New Zealand