Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale

About the Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale

The ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) is a poorly known species of beaked whale named for the unusual shape of its dual teeth. It is a fairly typical-looking species, but is notable for males not having any scarring.

Ginkgo-toothed beaked whales are more robust than most mesoplodonts, but otherwise look fairly typical. Halfway through the jaw, there is a sharp curve up where the ginkgo leaf-shaped tooth is. Unlike other species such as Blainville's beaked whale and Andrews' beaked whale, the teeth do not arch over the rostrum. The beak itself is of a moderate length.

The coloration is overall dark gray on males with light patches on the front half of the beak and around the head, and small white spots on the bottom of the tail, but the location may be variable. Females are a lighter gray and have countershading.

Both sexes reach 5.3 metres (17 feet) in length. They are around 2–2.5 metres (6.6–8.2 feet) long when born. This beaked whale has had fewer than 20 strandings off the coasts of Japan, Taiwan, California, the Galapagos Islands, New South Wales, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Strait of Malacca... Wikipedia →