Arnoux's Beaked Whale
Arnoux's Beaked Whale is a little-known, and little-seen, species. It is probably found in deep offshore waters south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Pods have been sighted around the southernmost coasts of South America, South Africa and Australasia. Due to the number of strandings, they seem to summer around the Cook Strait region of New Zealand.
Classification: This species' genus, Berardius, is named after the French commander of the vessel that carried the first specimen from New Zealand to France in 1876. Arnoux was the ship's surgeon.
Local Names: Southern Four-Toothed Whale; Southern Beaked Whale; New Zealand Beaked Whale; Southern Giant Bottlenose Whale; Southern Porpoise Whale.
Description: Arnoux's Beaked Whale closely resembles Baird's Beaked Whale, but is around 20% smaller. Males are scarred around the dorsal fin, the skin colour is brown with a lighter head region. There are four teeth on the lower jaw; these erupt through the gum and are exposed outside the closed mouth in both sexes. The maximum documented length for this species is 9.75m, and females are thought to be slightly larger than males.
Recognition at sea: This species is very difficult to distinguish from the Southern Bottlenose Whale, and may be dismissed as such if true identification is impossible.
Habitat: Unknown.
Food & Feeding: Unknown.
Behaviour: Arnoux's Beaked Whales seem to travel in units of 6-10, but larger groups of 80 individuals have been recorded.
Longevity: Unknown.
Estimated Current Population: Unknown.
The Influence of Man: Unknown.
Source: CETACEA
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