Pygmy beaked whale (Mesoplodon peruvianus)

The pygmy beaked whale is the latest whale discovered. It was described for the first time in 1991 by Reyes, Mead and Van Waerebeek. The skull shown here is a paratype, which means that it is one of the specimens used to designate this new form. Its most distinctive feature is the single tiny tooth in the lower jaw.

The pygmy beaked whale is a member of the Ziphiidae family. The largest one seen to date measures 3.7 metres. At birth, the young whales measure 1.6 metres. The back is dark grey, while the throat and belly are white. Little is known about the biological features of this animal; it travels in groups of 2 or 3, feeds on tiny fish (shrimps and cephalopods). No more than 10 specimens have been discovered so far. Most of them were captured off the coast of Peru and two animals were found dead on the coasts of Lower California.