PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Cetacea
FAMILY: Ziphiidae
GENUS: Tasmacetus
SPECIES: shepherdi
TOOTHED or TOOTHLESS (BALEEN): Toothed
FRESHWATER, SALTERWATER or BRACKISH: Saltwater
HABITAT: Cold temperate offshore waters of southern hemisphere, specifically New Zealand.
LENGTH (maximum): 19-23 Ft
WEIGHT (maximum): 2-3 tons
RELATIVE SPECIES: Cuvier’s, Arnoux and other beaked whales.
OTHER NAMES: Tasman Beaked Whale
NEIGHBORING SPECIES: Arnoux, Cuvier’s, Hector’s, Southern Bottlenose whale
PREDATORS: Humans
THREATS: Pollution, such as plastic has been ingested by these whales.
DIET: Bottom-dwelling fish and squid.
MANNER OF FEEDING: Forage the bottom of the ocean.
BEHAVIOR: Travels in small pods, dives deep and avoids ships. This makes it hard to observe in the wild.
REPRODUCTION: Unknown
LIFE SPAN: Unknown
COOL/GROSS/WEIRD:
- In February of 2012, they were caught on camera for the first time.
- Unlike other beaked whales, it has numerous teeth in the upper and lower jaw.
SOURCES:
- Knopf, Alfred A. Guide to Marine Mammals of the World.Random House. 2002
- http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/T_shepherdi/t_shepherdi.htm
-TSF-
