Biodiversity

Friday, April 06, 2007

DESCRIPTIONS OF WHALES AND DOLPHINS

Balaena glacialis (Southern Right Whale)



http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Balaena+glacialis

Distribution Arctic and Sub Antarctica; or near the coast; or Southern hemisphere.
Conseravation status Depleted; or Endangered.
Teeth 0 number (if unknown leave blank).
Size 14–17 m.
Weight 54500 kg.
Echolocation absent.
Dorsal fin absent.
Throat grooves absent.
Colour dorsal black-blue.
Colour ventral pale black-blue.
Migration yes.
Diet copepods.
Breeding grounds South Africa.
Head contains wart-like collosities.
Distinctive characteristic none.
Snout arched.
Thoracic Vertebrae 14 number (if unknown leave blank).
Lumbar Vertebrae 12 number (if unknown leave blank).
Caudal Vertebrae 24 number (if unknown leave blank).
Pelvis vestigial.
Body robust.
Baleen plates present Yes.
Teeth present No.

Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale)


http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Humpback+whale

Distribution World wide.
Conseravation status Depleted; or Endangered.
Teeth 0 number (if unknown leave blank).
Size 14–15 m.
Weight 35000 kg.
Echolocation absent.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves present.
Colour dorsal white.
Colour ventral white.
Migration yes.
Diet krill.
Breeding grounds Tropical and Subtropical.
Head small knobs on upper jaw.
Distinctive characteristic long, narrow flippers.
Snout unknown.
Thoracic Vertebrae 14 number (if unknown leave blank).
Lumbar Vertebrae 10 number (if unknown leave blank).
Caudal Vertebrae 22 number (if unknown leave blank).
Pelvis vestigial.
Body stocky.
Baleen plates present Yes.
Teeth present No.

Physeter macrocephalus (Sperm Whale)



http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Sperm+whale

Distribution World wide; or inshore.
Conseravation status Depleted; or Endangered.
Teeth 48 number (if unknown leave blank).
Size 15–18 m.
Weight 36000 kg.
Echolocation present.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal grey.
Colour ventral grey.
Migration unknown.
Diet squid; or octopus.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head contains spermaceti; or enormous, blunt.
Distinctive characteristic enormous, blunt head.
Snout unknown.
Thoracic Vertebrae 11 number (if unknown leave blank).
Lumbar Vertebrae 8 number (if unknown leave blank).
Caudal Vertebrae 24 number (if unknown leave blank).
Pelvis absent.
Body very large and prune-like.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

Orcinus orca (Killer Whale)


http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Killer+whale

Distribution Arctic and Sub Antarctica; or Southern Africa.
Conseravation status Low risk.
Teeth 44 number (if unknown leave blank).
Size 7–9 m.
Weight 5000 kg.
Echolocation present.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal black.
Colour ventral white.
Migration yes.
Diet squid; or fish; or birds; or seals; or dolphins; or larger whales.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head oval , white patch behind eye.
Distinctive characteristic gey saddle behind dorsal fin.
Snout unknown.
Thoracic Vertebrae 12 number (if unknown leave blank).
Lumbar Vertebrae 10 number (if unknown leave blank).
Caudal Vertebrae 23 number (if unknown leave blank).
Pelvis absent.
Body torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

Delphinus delphis (Common Dolphin)


http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=common+dolphin

Distribution warm temperate waters; or near the coast.
Conseravation status Unknown.
Size 2.5 m.
Weight 160 kg.
Echolocation unknown.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal black; or pale-grey.
Colour ventral white.
Migration unknown.
Diet shoaling pelagic fish.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head long, narrow, pointed beak.
Distinctive characteristic criss-cross figure-of-eight pattern on the sides.
School size 1000–5000 number (if unknown leave blank).
Snout unknown.
Pelvis unknown.
Body torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenosed dolphin)



http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=bottlenosed+dolphin

Distribution inshore; or near the coast; or Southern Africa.
Conseravation status Vulnerable; or Depleted.
Teeth 98 number (if unknown leave blank).
Size 2.6–3.3 m.
Weight 200 kg.
Echolocation present.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal grey; or dark-grey.
Colour ventral off-white speckled with grey spots.
Migration unknown.
Diet squid; or fish.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head bottle-shaped.
Distinctive characteristic darker grey "cape" on the back.
School size 20–50 number (if unknown leave blank).
Snout moderate length.
Thoracic Vertebrae 14 number (if unknown leave blank).
Lumbar Vertebrae 15 number (if unknown leave blank).
Caudal Vertebrae 29 number (if unknown leave blank).
Pelvis absent.
Body robust.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

Cephalorhynchus heavisidii (Heaviside's Dolphin)




http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Heavisides+dolphin&btnG=Search+Images


Distribution near the coast; or Southern Africa.
Conseravation status Unknown.
Size 1.7 m.
Echolocation unknown.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal black.
Colour ventral white.
Migration unknown.
Diet fish.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head indistinct beak.
Distinctive characteristic white lobe pointing obliquely backwards towards the tail.
Snout rounded.
Pelvis unknown.
Body thick-set; or torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.


Lagenorhynchus obscurus
(Dusky Dolphin)



http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Dusky+dolphin

Distribution near the coast; or Southern hemisphere.
Conseravation status Unknown.
Size 1.9 m.
Weight 115 kg.
Echolocation unknown.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal black; or dark-grey.
Colour ventral white; or pale grey-white.
Migration unknown.
Diet squid; or fish.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head very short, black-tipped beak.
Distinctive characteristic two-tone dorsal fin.
Snout rounded.
Pelvis unknown.
Body torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

Stenella coeruleoalba (Striped Dolphin)


http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Striped+dolphin

Distribution warm temperate waters; or near the coast.
Conseravation status Low risk.
Size 2.5 m.
Weight 150 kg.
Echolocation unknown.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal dark blue-grey.
Colour ventral white.
Migration unknown.
Diet squid; or fish.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head three distinct grey lines running from the eye.
Distinctive characteristic 3 grey lines running backwards from the eye.
School size 5–400 number (if unknown leave blank).
Pelvis unknown.
Body torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.


Sousa plumbea (Humpback Dolphin)


http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Humpback+dolphin

Distribution inshore; or Southern Africa.
Conseravation status Vulnerable.
Size 2.8 m.
Weight 280 kg.
Echolocation unknown.
Dorsal fin present.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal dark-grey.
Colour ventral off-white.
Migration unknown.
Diet krill; or fish.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head long, narrow, pointed beak.
Distinctive characteristic mid dorsal elongate ridge on back.
School size 5–25 number (if unknown leave blank).
Snout unknown.
Pelvis unknown.
Body torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

Lissodelphis peronii (Southern Right Whale Dolphin)


http://images.google.co.za/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Lissodelphis+peronii

Distribution cold temperate waters; or Southern hemisphere.
Conseravation status Unknown.
Size 2.3 m.
Weight 60 kg.
Echolocation present.
Dorsal fin absent.
Throat grooves unknown.
Colour dorsal black.
Colour ventral white.
Migration unknown.
Diet squid; or fish; or octopus; or tiny crustaceans.
Breeding grounds Unknown.
Head white face.
Distinctive characteristic dorsal fin absent.
Snout rounded.
Pelvis unknown.
Body torpedo shaped.
Baleen plates present No.
Teeth present Yes.

References:

Branch, G.M., Griffiths, C.L., Branch, M.L., Beckley, L.E.(2002) Two Oceans: A guide to the Marine Life of Southern Africa, David Philips Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa, 360pp
Gaskin, D.E.(1982) The Ecolgy of Whales and Dolphins, BAS Printers Ltd, Britain, 459pp
Macdonald, D., Norris, S.(2001) The New Encyclopedia of Mammals, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 930pp
Purves, P.E. & Pilleri G.E.(1983) Echolocation in Whales and Dolphins, Galliard Printes Ltd, Great Britain, 261pp
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/




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