Skip to content
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent bycatch
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Science
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller cuts on its back and head, broken ribs, and bruising. Photo: FWC/Tucker Joenz, NOAA Fisheries permit #18786

Emergency Right Whale Petition Seeks Overdue Protections From Vessel Strikes

This dead right whale calf had injuries consistent with a vessel strike, including fresh propeller...
Icelandic hunting vessels in port

Whaling boat kept in port after more hunt cruelty exposed

Icelandic whale hunting fleet One of the whaling boats involved in the latest hunts in...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
Fin whale shot with two harpoons

Whalers kill just days after Iceland’s hunt suspension is lifted

Whalers in Iceland have claimed their first victims since the lifting (just a few days...

New beaked whale species discovered in Japan

New species of beaked whale - Berardius minimus

A new species of beaked whale who lives in the North Pacific has been identified in Japan, according to scientists who have published their discovery in the scientific journal Nature.

The whale is thought to possibly be a new member of the Berardius family, which would mean there are now three whales in this group, the others being Baird's beaked whale and Arnoux's beaked whale. The new whale has been given the scientific name Berardius minimus.

Beaked whales live in deep waters, often offshore which makes sightings and research difficult. Several new species have been recognized in recent years, some of which have only been identified by analysis of bones from stranded whales.

Baird's beaked whales are hunted in Japan and whalers had often referred to two types of whales, one of which was a  darker, smaller version. The whale was known locally as “kuro-tsuchi”, meaning Black Baird's beaked whale.

Now analysis of bones and DNA have confirmed it is a separate species. The new whale, which can grow up to seven meters long, is smaller than its relative with a shorter beak and dark body color.

For the full report:

Description of a new species of beaked whale (Berardius) found in the North Pacific
Authors: Tadasu K. Yamada, Shino Kitamura, Syuiti Abe, Yuko Tajima, Ayaka Matsuda, James G. Mead & Takashi F. Matsuishi
Nature - Scientific Reports

[shariff]

Leave a Comment