Geographic Range
Mesoplodon hectori
is distributed in oceans throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
- Biogeographic Regions
- ethiopian
- neotropical
- australian
Habitat
Mesoplodon hectori
is found in pelagic oceanic waters in the Southern Hemisphere, primarily in cold
temperate waters between 35° South and 55° South. Beached specimens have been found
in Argentina, the Falkland Islands, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, and Tasmania.
One beached specimen was found 80 km north of Rio Grande in Southern Brazil, the northernmost
sighting of this whale. These whales may undergo a slight seasonal migration to cooler
waters during summer months. They seem to prefer colder shelf-edge or canyon habitats.
They can dive to a depth of 5.75 km but, on average, they dive to a depth of 3.5 km.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- saltwater or marine
- Aquatic Biomes
- pelagic
Physical Description
Hector's beaked whales can be distinguished from other species of
Mesoplodon
by the shape of the mandibles, the shape of the rostrum, and the position of its
single pair of teeth in the lower jaw. This species has a narrower premaxillary crest
than other
Mesoplodon
species. The teeth are triangular and positioned near the tip of the lower jaw. Other
species, such as
Mesoplodon mirus
and
Mesoplodon pacificus
also have teeth close to the tip of the jaw, but the morphology of their teeth differs
from that of
M. hectori
in that
M. mirus
has smaller and more conical teeth than
M. hectori
, and the teeth of
M. pacificus
are sloped forward at a 45° angle. The teeth of
M. hectori
are not sloped forward in this manner. The dorsal fin is small and rounded and the
tail flukes are straight-edged and broad.
This species is the second smallest of all beaked whales, second only to pygmy beaked
whales (
Mesoplodon peruvianus
). No subspecies or polymorphisms of
M. hectori
are known to exist. Males and females do not differ in size, but they do have different
color patterns. Dorsally, males are dark grey with a lighter grey ventral zone. Females,
on the other hand, are light grey dorsally and white ventrally. Both males and females
tend to have white lower jaws.
Additionally, while males have a single pair of teeth (tusks) in the lower jaw, females
and juveniles usually do not. This dimorphism is consistent with other species of
Mesoplodon
. Males of this species tend to have extensive scarring as a result of aggressive
intrasexual encounters where teeth are used to establish breeding hierarchies. Males
also tend to have increased ossification of the rostrum, which may allow them to aggressively
contact each other with the tops of their rostra without risking damage to the rostrum.
Because so few specimens have been found alive, there is virtually no information
on the average mass or basal metabolic rate of these animals. However, one study suggests
that
M. hectori
can reach up to 800 kg.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes colored or patterned differently
- ornamentation
Reproduction
Little information is known about their mating system. Scholars suggest that the mating
behaviors of
beaked whales
may be similar to those of other
toothed whales
. Because toothed whales tend to live in small groups that occupy thousands of square
miles of ocean. When individuals of the opposite sex do come across each other, they
take advantage of the meeting by emitting a series of physical and hormonal cues to
indicate readiness to breed. However, no research exists to suggest that
Mesoplodon hectori
follows these same mating patterns.
Researchers have documented that beaked whales, including species of
Mesoplodon
, use their teeth to defend their mates and territory from other males and to establish
breeding hierarchies. Although little is known about the specific mating system of
Mesoplodon hectori
, the presence of scarring on some beached male specimens suggests that males may
also engage in this intrasexual aggression, most likely to defend females and territories.
Although little information exists about the reproductive behavior of
Mesoplodon hectori
, studies of other
Mesoplodon
species suggests that breeding most likely occurs between October and December. Calves
of other
Mesoplodon
species are usually born in February or March in areas much shallower than their
normal habitats. Hector's beaked whales may follow this breeding pattern. Mothers
most likely give birth to a single calf.
Mesoplodon
species in general have gestational periods averaging 12 months, but virtually no
information exists as to how long the specific gestation period is for
M. hectori
. At birth, calves are 190 to 202 centimeters long. Research on other
Mesoplodon
species suggests that sexual maturity may occur anywhere from 9 to 12 years old for
females and males, but no specific information exists for this species. At the time
of weaning, juveniles are estimated to be about 3 meters in length. Other reproduction
information is not reported in the literature.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
All cetaceans share a similar style of parental investment. The mother nurses the
young. If she lives in a group, the mother and her entire pod teach the young how
to avoid predators and to feed. However, because
Mesoplodon hectori
is thought to be a relatively solitary species, the mother may be the only adult
in charge of socializing her young. No other information about parental investment
in
M. hectori
has been documented.
- Parental Investment
- precocial
- female parental care
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
Because fewer than 30 specimens of
Mesoplodon hectori
have been found – and of those, only a few found alive – there’s very little information
on longevity. However, based on longevity data from other members of the genus, this
species may be a long-lived species, living at least to its early 30's and potentially
even longer. Other than these speculations, there is no research on longevity in the
wild for this species. No attempts to keep
M. hectori
in captivity have been documented.
Behavior
Because toothless specimens of
Mesoplodon hectori
can feed, scholars suggest that the teeth are not involved in feeding and have most
likely been retained for male-male competitions. Males are oftentimes found with teeth
marks on their backs and flanks, leading many scholars to suggest that males engage
in aggressive intrasexual encounters to defend their territories and mates. In these
interactions, males swim towards each other and use the momentum to create linear
wounds by dragging their teeth along each other’s side. Males will most likely accrue
these bites as they age and engage in more aggressive encounters. Additionally,
Mesoplodon hectori
may engage in aggressive encounters with
Isistius
; one specimen of
M. hectori
was found to have what were tentatively classified as bite marks from these cookie-cutter
sharks.
Most sightings of live and beached specimens of
M. hectori
suggest that this species generally occurs singly, but researchers have seen pairs
on occasion. Furthermore, one study of beaked whales found that other species of
Mesoplodon
may live in small groups, while other genera of beaked whales tend to live in much
larger groups. Therefore, there is still considerable contention over the size of
social groups. Hector's beaked whales may live in small social groups, but the sighting
of single whales suggests that they may also be a largely solitary species. Additionally,
while species of
Mesoplodon
are known to flee from boats, there have been numerous occasions in which
M. hectori
has approached boats and even allowed researchers to take skin samples. This species
is particularly hard to detect because it does not “blow,” although no information
exists as to why these animals are so inconspicuous when they surface. The average
dive for
Mesoplodon
is about 20 minutes long.
Most species of
Mesoplodon
tend to live near other genera of beaked whales, such as
Ziphius
and
Hyperoodon
, so it is possible that
M. hectori
comes into contact with other beaked whales. However, because
Mesoplodon
species occupy a separate dietary niche,
M. hectori
most likely does not compete with other beaked whales for food.
- Key Behaviors
- natatorial
- motile
- nomadic
- migratory
- solitary
Home Range
While some research suggests that
Mesoplodon hectori
may engage in seasonal migration, evidence from other beaked whales shows long-term
fidelity to specific locations; for example, one species of
Mesoplodon
was sighted in the same location over a period of fifteen years. Although no documentation
of the home range of
M. hectori
exists, these clues from other species may help identify some of this species' behavioral
patterns, but there is still not enough evidence to discern whether this species diverges
from or aligns with the norms of other species in its genus. Australian researchers
estimate the area of occupancy of these whales to be greater than 2000 square kilometers,
but a more conservative estimate of home range has not yet been made.
Communication and Perception
Echolocation has been identified as a feeding behavior of this species, but high-frequency
echolocation of up to 120 Hz may also be used for social communication.
Mesoplodon hectori
may also use non-echolocating sounds ranging from 1 to 16 kHz to communicate with
other individuals. Other species of beaked whales whistle in a way that researchers
suggest serves a social function, although the nature of that social function is not
yet clear. Although the group size of
M. hectori
is still unclear, the presence of both high-frequency echolocation and non-echolocating
sounds may bolster the hypothesis that this species is not a completely solitary species
but instead lives in small groups where communication is necessary.
- Communication Channels
- acoustic
- Perception Channels
- visual
- tactile
- acoustic
- ultrasound
- echolocation
- chemical
Food Habits
Although little is known about the specific feeding behavior of
Mesoplodon hectori
, researchers suggest that
Mesoplodon
species are piscivores. Among the genera of beaked whales (
g.Hyperoodon
>,
Mesoplodon
, and
Ziphius
),
Mesoplodon
species tend to eat the most fish – and their prey tends to be smaller than those
of the other two genera.
Mesoplodon
species also eat cephalopods. Most prey is benthic or benthopelagic, meaning that
it lives at or near the ocean floor, usually between 200 and 2000 meters in depth.
Mesoplodon
species are generalist feeders, in that they eat whatever prey is locally abundant.
Mesoplodon hectori
is most likely a suction feeder like other species in the genus. Powerful muscles
at the back of the tongue work in tandem with pleated throat grooves to allow the
mouth to distend and create a vacuum that sucks prey into the mouth, prey that is
then swallowed whole. Some scholars believe that
Mesoplodon
suction feeding is an adaptation to eating squid in particular.
Like all species of
Mesoplodon
, this species most likely uses echolocation to locate prey. When searching for food,
Mesoplodon
emits high-frequency clicks to detect squid and other small marine creatures. A study
of foraging
Mesoplodon
revealed that these beaked whales tend to click only at depths between 200 and 1267
meters and they click continuously once at those depths. Even though specific studies
with
M. hectori
have not been conducted, it is likely that this species uses echolocation to forage
in a similar fashion to other members of
Mesoplodon
.
- Primary Diet
- carnivore
- Animal Foods
- fish
- aquatic crustaceans
- other marine invertebrates
Predation
Little is known about the predators or anti-predator adaptations of
Mesoplodon hectori
. Some research suggests that
Orcinus orca
may occasionally prey on this species, but no definitive evidence exists to verify
this claim.
Ecosystem Roles
Beaked whales are some of the most numerous cetaceans in their geographic range and
are important “apex” predators as a result. However, little is known about the specific
ecological role
Mesoplodon hectori
plays in its marine ecosystem.
Hector's beaked whales may play host to a number of parasites. In 2005, a female specimen
was found to have a species of
Sarcocystis
in her skeletal muscle as well as a species of
Tetrabothrius
and a species of
Bolbosoma
in her intestinal tract. A beached male concurrently analyzed was found to have
Braunina cordiformis
in his stomach. Both specimens also had a species of
Anisakis
in their digestive tracts. Neither individual died from these parasites, and researchers
concluded that the presence of the stomach parasites, presumably acquired through
consuming intermediary hosts, is most likely common and non-fatal for
M. hectori
.
- No research has been conducted to determine if Mesoplodon hectori uses any other species as a host.
- No research has been conducted to determine if Mesoplodon hectori is mutualist with any other species.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Some specimens of
Mesoplodon hectori
may have been captured by opportunistic whalers over a hundred years ago. However,
their general elusiveness means that few, if any, modern incidences of human exploitation
have been reported because few people have encountered this species alive.
- Positive Impacts
- body parts are source of valuable material
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no documented cases of negative interactions between humans and
Mesoplodon hectori
.
Conservation Status
Even though there have been only a handful of sightings of Mesoplodon hectori at sea, this species does not classify as vulnerable, threatened, or endangered on any of the major lists. Individuals of many Mesoplodon species have gotten entangled in offshore fishing nets over the last twenty years, and M. hectori may be at risk for entanglement as well.
Additional Links
Contributors
Jasmine Reid (author), Yale University, Rachel Racicot (editor), Yale University, Eric Sargis (editor), Yale University, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- Ethiopian
-
living in sub-Saharan Africa (south of 30 degrees north) and Madagascar.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Neotropical
-
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Australian
-
Living in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea and associated islands.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- saltwater or marine
-
mainly lives in oceans, seas, or other bodies of salt water.
- pelagic
-
An aquatic biome consisting of the open ocean, far from land, does not include sea bottom (benthic zone).
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- sexual ornamentation
-
one of the sexes (usually males) has special physical structures used in courting the other sex or fighting the same sex. For example: antlers, elongated tails, special spurs.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- young precocial
-
young are relatively well-developed when born
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- natatorial
-
specialized for swimming
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- nomadic
-
generally wanders from place to place, usually within a well-defined range.
- migratory
-
makes seasonal movements between breeding and wintering grounds
- solitary
-
lives alone
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- ultrasound
-
uses sound above the range of human hearing for either navigation or communication or both
- echolocation
-
The process by which an animal locates itself with respect to other animals and objects by emitting sound waves and sensing the pattern of the reflected sound waves.
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- piscivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fish
- molluscivore
-
eats mollusks, members of Phylum Mollusca
References
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Gales, N., M. Dalebout, J. Bannister. 2002. Genetic Identification and Biological Observation of Two Free-Swimming Beaked Whales: Hector’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon hectori, Gray, 1871), and Gray’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon grayi, Von Haast, 1876). Marine Mammal Science , 18(2): 544-551. Accessed April 11, 2012 at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2002.tb01055.x/pdf .
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