Longman, 1926 - Longman's beaked whale
Distinctive Characteristics
Nothing is known of the external appearance of Longman's beaked whale, as it is known only from 2 damaged skulls. The teeth of adult males are oval in cross-section, are located at the tip of the lower jaw, and point forward.
Can be confused with
Until a fresh carcass is examined, Longman's beaked whales cannot be positively identified (except from examination of the skull). In shape and position, the teeth most closely resemble those of True's beaked whales.
Size
The size of Longman's beaked whale is unknown, but based on the size of a skull it is thought to reach lengths of over 6 m.
Geographical Distribution
The distribution of Longman's beaked whale is incompletely known, but it may be limited to the Indo-Pacific region. The 2 available skulls are from Australia and Somalia.
Biology and Behaviour
Although Longman's beaked whale is here classified in the genus Mesoplodon, some researchers believe it belongs in its own genus, Indopacetus. It qualifies as the most poorly known of all the marine mammals.
Exploitation
There is no known exploitation of this species.
IUCN Status
Insufficiently known.