Stranding of a Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) in Southern Texas with comments on stomach contents (original) (raw)

Gulf of Mexico Science

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Abstract

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The paper discusses the stranding of a Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) on South Padre Island, Texas, where partial stomach contents were collected. Analysis of the stomach contents revealed the presence of squid beaks, Nematoda, a mango seed, a corncob, and coal-like material, highlighting a new prey item (Loligo peali) for this species. This finding contributes to the understanding of the diet of Cuvier's beaked whales and raises awareness of the ingestion of non-prey items.

Biological data on two Hector's beaked whales, Mesoplodon hectori, stranded in Buenos Aires province, Argentina

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 2005

Beaked whales or ziphiids are the least known cetaceans, and are among the least studied of all mammalian groups. In August and September of 2002, a male and a female beaked whale stranded alive on the Argentine coast, 110 km away from each other. The specimens died shortly after the stranding and their bodies were collected for dissection and analysis. The specimens were identified as belonging to the genus Mesoplodon. Further measurements of the skulls, shape and location of teeth as well as molecular analyses of the mtDNA control region and cytochrome b, allowed unambiguous identification of both specimens as Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori. The color pattern was different between male and female. Standard length was 3.94 meters for the male and 3.84 meters for the female. The female's vertebral formula was C7 + T10 + L11 + Ca21 = 49. Histo-pathological analysis of the female revealed the presence of Sarcocystis sp. in the skeletal muscle, and lung lesions related to parasitic damage and pneumonia or chronic infection. The stomach of both individuals was empty. The digestive tract of both specimens was infected by larval stages L4 of Anisakis sp. The female was also infected by Tetrabothrius sp. and Bolbosoma sp. while Braunina cordiformis was only found in the male. Different composition of parasitic fauna suggests possible sex-related differences in the diet or individual variability. Total length, teeth eruption (in the male) and the degree of vertebral epiphyses fusion suggest that both individuals were mature.

Feeding ecology of Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris): a review with new information on the diet of this species

2001

Published information on the diet of Cuvier's beaked whales Ziphius cavirostris (Odontoceti: Ziphiidae) is reviewed and new information on the stomach contents of three animals: two stranded in Galicia (north-west Spain) in February 1990 at A Lanzada, and in February 1995 at Portonovo; and the third stranded in February 1999 in North Uist (Scotland), is presented. The whale stranded in 1990 was a male; the other two were adult females. All animals were 45 m long. The limited published information on the diet of this species indicates that it feeds primarily on oceanic cephalopods although some authors also found remains of oceanic ¢sh and crustaceans. Food remains from the three new samples consisted entirely of cephalopod beaks. The Scottish sample set is the largest recorded to date for this species. The prey identi¢ed consisted of oceanic cephalopods, mainly squid (Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea). The most frequently occurring species were the squid Teuthowenia megalops, Mastigoteuthis schmidti and Taonius pavo (for the Galician whale stranded in 1990), Teuthowenia megalops and Histioteuthis reversa (for the second Galician whale) and T. megalops, Gonatus sp. and Taonius pavo (for the Scottish whale). Other prey included the squid Histioteuthis bonnellii, Histioteuthis arcturi and Todarodes sagittatus as well as Vampiroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda: Vampyromorpha), Stauroteuthis syrtensis and Japetella diaphana (Cephalopoda: Octopoda). The squid eaten (estimated from the measurement of the lower beaks) included juvenile and mature individuals of the most important species (Teuthowenia megalops, Gonatus sp.). The range of species found in the diet of Z. cavirostris is greater than that reported for sperm whales and bottlenosed whales in the northeast Atlantic.

Beaked whale strandings on the coast of Australia in comparison to those of other cetaceans

Beaked whale (Ziphiidae) strandings on the coast of Australia are examined in comparison to five other odontocete (toothed whale) species and two mysticetes (baleen whales) representative of non-Ziphiids found stranded in Australian waters. Ninety percent of reported beaked whale strandings involve a single animal. Seven beaked whale stranding events of three or more individuals have been recorded from 1871 to 2010, with a maximum in any event of 6. The five non-Ziphiid odontocetes had maximum numbers in a stranding of 13, 51, 65, 200, and 250, and a combined total of 66 events with 10+ in a stranding. The mysticetes had almost exclusively single strandings. Similar trends for the Ziphiids and other cetaceans are generally observed worldwide, although larger numbers of Ziphiids have stranded elsewhere. Continental scale geographical stranding patterns are similar for the Ziphiids, the five non-Ziphiid odontocetes, and the two mysticetes, although not for the same reasons. Reported strandings predominantly occurred around the southern half of Australia south of 20°S. On average around three times as many beaked whale stranding events per month occurred for the period January to April than for July to December. The monthly trend for beaked whale strandings follows the seasonal cycle of sea temperatures, indicating a relation to oceanic phenomena, rather than to the often invoked effect of increased observer effort in months with warmer air temperatures. Some single and dual beaked whale strandings which include a female may be related to use of shallow sheltered waters for calving and subsequent resting.

Stomach Contents of Long-Finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala Melas) Stranded on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast

Marine Mammal Science, 1997

New data are reported from analyses of stomach contents from 114 long-finned pilot whales mass-stranded at four locations around Tasmania, Australia from 1992-2006. Identifiable prey remains were recovered from 84 (74%) individuals, with 30 (26%) individuals (17 females and 13 males) having empty stomachs. Prey remains comprised 966 identifiable lower beaks and 1244 upper beaks, belonging to 17 families (26 species) of cephalopods. Ommastrephidae spp. were the most important cephalopod prey accounting for 16.9% by number and 45.6% by reconstructed mass. Lycoteuthis lorigera was the next most important, followed by Ancistrocheirus lesueurii. Multivariate statistics identified significant differences in diet among the four stranding locations. Long-finned pilot whales foraging off Southern Australia appear to be targeting a diverse assemblage of prey (�10 species dominated by cephalopods). This is compared to other similar studies from New Zealand and some locations in the Northern Hemisphere, where the diet has been reported to be primarily restricted to �3 species dominated by cephalopods. This study emphasises the importance of cephalopods as primary prey for Southern long-finned pilot whales and other marine vertebrates, and has increased our understanding of long-finned pilot whale diet in Southern Ocean waters.

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First stranding record of a Cuvier beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

Introduction: A calf of a Cuvier beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, was found stranded at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico where this species have been observed before. Methods: A detailed necropsy was conducted to report the plausible stranding causes. The individual was measured. Results: The female calf was apparently a month old individual and was still suckling. Body temperature was still warm, with no pupillary reaction or artery pulse at the inner blowhole and at the fluke major arteries. The stomachs contained milk in different degradation stages (fresh to semi-digested). Discussion: Necropsy of the calf did not show any plausible indication about its death, such as major wounds that indicate predation, trauma, ulcers or infections, only the presence of a small bubbling blood effusion together with some epithelial and muscle tissue masses extruding from the urogenital opening. No gas related trauma such as decompression could be confirmed due that we did not have the means to measure gas presence on epithelial tissues. The probable cause of dead was hypoxia. Key words: Calf stranding; cuvier beaked whale; Isla Guadalupe; Ziphius cavirostris.

OBSERVATIONS OF AN UNIDENTIFIED BEAKED WHALE (MESOPLODON SP.) IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC

Multiple sightings of a distinctive but unidentified species of beaked whale have been made in the eastern tropical Pacific. The unidentified whale has two color morphs: a conspicuously marked black and white form (judged to be larger), and a uniformly gray-brown form. Maximum length estimates have been 5-5.5 m. Other features include a relatively flat head, with a small, distinct melon; a moderately long beak; and a low, wide-based, triangular dorsal fin. On most animals the trailing edge of the dorsal fin is only slightly falcate and often appears straight. On the black and white morph, a broad white or cream-colored swathe originates immediately posterior to the dorsal surface of the head and runs posterio-ventrally on either side of the animal. The prevalence of scarring on the black and white animals suggests sexual dimorphism and that these larger, more conspicuously marked animals are adult males, while the smaller, browner, unscarred animals are females and young. Possibilities for identification include: 1) a well-marked race of a known Mesoplodon sp., 2) Mesoplodon (Indopacetus) pacificus or 3) an undescribed species. In this paper we report on multiple sightings of a distinctive but as yet unidentified species of beaked whale from the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP). A morph of this whale that we assume is the adult male (see below) is conspicuously marked and eminently identifiable in the field. Despite this, it does not fit the description of any known species of ziphiid. We provide here a field description of the whale, identify its range and comment on its identity.

Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) head tissues: physical properties and CT imaging

Journal of Experimental Biology, 2005

Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) is the most abundant species of the Ziphiidae family of toothed whales (Heyning, 1989b), yet much about it remains unknown. Studies of live Z. cavirostris are rare, as they are visually inconspicuous at sea due to deep, long-duration dives and short surface times (Heyning, 1989b; Barlow et al., 1997; Baird et al., 2004). Cuvier's beaked whales typically inhabit deep, offshore waters exhibiting steep slope features such as submarine canyons, oceanic islands, the continental shelf edge, and enclosed seas (