Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
IUCN lists Hyperoodon planifrons as conservation dependent. This designation means that this species would fall into a higher category of threat or be driven to the point of extinction, if it were not for conservation efforts (Baillie and Groombridge 1996).
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no adverse effects of H. planifrons.
There is very little economic importance attached to this species. Hyperoodon planifrons has never been subjected to systematic whaling, unlike its close relative, Hyperoodon ampullatus.
(Tinker 1988, Minasian et al. 1984)
Hyperoodon planifrons is known to feed primarily on squid, and most likely, on fishes (Tinker 1988).
Animal Foods: fish; mollusks
Primary Diet: carnivore (Molluscivore )
Hyperoodon planifrons is found in the waters off of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the South Orkney Islands, South Africa, and the Pacific and Indian ocean sectors of Antarctica. Southern bottlenose whales have also been sighted near Sri Lanka.
(Nowak 1997, Tinker 1988)
Biogeographic Regions: indian ocean (Native ); pacific ocean (Native )
Hyperoodon planifrons mainly stays in cooler waters and approaches the ice packs of Antarctica during the summer. For the winter months, southern bottlenose whales migrate towards tropic waters (Minasian et al. 1984).
Aquatic Biomes: coastal
Hyperoodon planifrons individuals grow to about 8 meters in length. Sexual dimorphism is seen in this species, with the males averaging a length of 7.5 meters and the females averaging only 6.5 meters. Body mass has been estimated at 6 to 8 tons. The body of H. planifrons is cylindrical in shape and tapers toward the tail in the last 1/3 of its length. The tail flukes are wide and lack the notched center that is often seen in other cetaceans. Southern bottlenose whales have short, distinct beaks protruding from an inflated forehead or melon. In females and young males, the forehead slopes smoothly into the beak. In older males, the forehead rises abruptly from the beak. The dorsal fin of H.planifrons is located 2/3 of the body length from the head, measures between 30 to 40 cm, and is sickle-shaped with a blunt tip. This whale's flippers are small, short, and also blunt-tipped.
Male H. planifrons have one pair of short, conical teeth which are situated at the tip of the lower jaw. Teeth are not found in the upper jaw. The teeth of females are either smaller or do not emerge at all. Rows of vestigial teeth are often present in the lower and upper jaw.
Southern bottlenose whales are a brownish-grey color on the head, back, dorsal fin, flippers, and tail . This color is paler on the belly, throat, and sides. However, coloration becomes lighter with age. Calves are a grayish-brown to black color, while older whales are completely yellowish-white in color.
(Tinker 1988, Nowak 1997, Baker 1983, Minasian et al. 1984)
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Hyperoodon planifrons may also be called the Antarctic bottlenose whale.
Ziphiids have a pair of grooves on their throat that converge anteriorly to form a V pattern at the chin.
A large bottlenose whale can yield up to 200 kg of spermati oil, which is used in making ointments and fine, smokeless candles. Furthermore, it can yield up to 2,000 kg of blubber oil, which is a base of many skin creams and cosmetics.
Based on geological evidence, Hyperoodon ampullatus and Hyperoodon planifrons probably diverged as recently as 15,000 years ago. There are fossil records of ziphiid whales from the lower Miocene Epoch to the Holocene Epoch.
(Mead 1989, Tinker 1988, Nowak, 1997)
Calving in Hyperoodon planifrons occurs in the spring or summer. The young measure about 3 meters at birth. Very little information is known about the reproductive cycle of H. planifrons, but it probably resembles the cycle of its close relative, Hyperoodon ampullatus, northern bottlenose whales. In that species, females probably give birth every 2 years, with a gestation period of 12 months. Weaning of young takes place after one year. Sexual maturity of female bottlenose whales is reached between the ages of 8-12, and in males, between 7-11 years of age. The life span of H. planifrons is at least 37 years.
(Tinker 1988, Nowak 1997)
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
The southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) is a species of whale, in the Ziphiid family, one of two members of the genus Hyperoodon. Seldom observed, the southern bottlenose whale is resident in Antarctic waters. The species was first described by English zoologist William Henry Flower in 1882, based on a water-worn skull from Lewis Island, in the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. They live in deep ocean waters over 1000 meters.[3]
The southern bottlenose whale measures 7.5 m (25 ft) in length when physically mature, considerably smaller than the northern bottlenose whale. The beak is long and white on males but grey in females. The dorsal fin is relatively small at 30–38 cm (12–15 in), set behind the middle of the back, falcate (sickle-shaped), and usually pointed. The back is light-to-mid grey. It has a lighter underside. There is currently no evidence to support sexual dimorphism in coloration (Van Waerebeek et al., 2005). More data need to be collected to understand if coloration differences are individualized or based on geographic range (Van Waerebeek et al., 2005).
No subspecies of the southern bottlenose whale are named (Mead 1989). A mtDNA study of two southern bottlenose whales from different regions of New Zealand was conducted and found that mtDNA differed 4.13%, which is higher than the interspecific variation of 2% found in other beaked whales (Dalebout et al., 1998). Intraspecific coloration variation may be due to genetics; however, variation based on geographical location is not ruled out (Van Waerebeek et al., 2005).
The southern bottlenose whale has a circumpolar distribution in the Southern Ocean. It is found as far south as the Antarctic coast and as far north as the tip of South Africa, New Zealand's North Island and the southern parts of Brazil.
Sightings of bottlenose whales in tropical and subtropical waters were likely not of southern bottlenose whales; rather they were of a poorly known species, Longman's beaked whale.
Dive times range from 15-40 mins, which is a long dive time relative to other cetaceans (Barlow and Sexton, 1996), and occur in small group sizes between 1-5 individuals. The southern bottlenose whale feed mainly on squid and krill. A study of stomach contents revealed that squid in the stomach of the southern bottlenose whale were mostly Antarctic squid species, followed by South African squid species (Sekiguchi et al., 1993).
The global population is unknown. Population estimates are lacking; however, southern bottlenose whales accounted for more than 90% of Ziphiid sightings in the Antarctic circle (Kasamatsu et al., 1988).
The biggest threat to the southern bottlenose whale has been whaling (Mitchell, 1975). Soviet whalers took a few specimens for research (Tomilin and Latyshev, 1967), and Japanese whalers took 42 specimens (Kasamatsu et al., 1988).
A whale sanctuary in the Southern Ocean was created in 1994 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). This prohibited whaling in the Southern Ocean. Forty-two southern bottlenose whales were caught in the Antarctic by Soviet whalers between 1970 and 1982. In addition, the southern bottlenose whale is covered by the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region. (Pacific Cetaceans MOU).[1] Currently the IUCN status is Least Concern.
The vocal and piano duo Flanders and Swann recorded a humorous song, "The Whale (Mopy Dick)". The lyrics specify that they intend the bottlenose whale, in Antarctic waters.[4] [5]
The southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) is a species of whale, in the Ziphiid family, one of two members of the genus Hyperoodon. Seldom observed, the southern bottlenose whale is resident in Antarctic waters. The species was first described by English zoologist William Henry Flower in 1882, based on a water-worn skull from Lewis Island, in the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. They live in deep ocean waters over 1000 meters.
