ANTILLEAN BEAKED WHALE (T)
Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais 1855)
(equals M. gervaisi [Deslongchamps])
Other Common Names
Gulfstream beaked whale, Gervais' beaked whale.
Description
Antillean beaked whales reach a length of at least 22 feet (6.7 m). They are slender in form and appear somewhat laterally compressed (i.e., taller than they are wide). The head is extremely small and tapers rapidly to a narrow beak. The flippers are small (to about one-twelfth the body length) with their origin well down on the sides of the body. The dorsal fin is small, located behind the midpoint of the back, and variable in shape from falcate to triangular. The flukes are less than one-fifth the body length and are not notched.
Antillean beaked whales are dark grayish black on the back and sides, slightly lighter on the abdomen. The flukes are dark gray above and below.
Natural History Notes
Antillean beaked whales are probably primarily oceanic in distribution and are known to feed on squid.
May Be Confused With
Antillean beaked whales may be confused with any of the other beaked whales though they are larger than all except the northern bottlenosed whale (p. [67]) and the goosebeaked whale (p. [70]).