• About KCC
    • Contact
    • Join Our Mailing List
  • Volunteer
  • Events
  • Blog
    • KCC Mailbox
  • Membership Options
    • Members-only Area
  • Activities
    • Activity ideas
    • Quizzes and Games
    • KCC Book Reviews
    • KCC Stories
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Citizen Science Projects
    • Competitions
  • Wild Things Magazine
  • Join Us!
  • Renew membership!
Kiwi Conservation ClubKiwi Conservation Club
Kiwi Conservation ClubKiwi Conservation Club
  • About KCC
    • Contact
    • Join Our Mailing List
  • Volunteer
  • Events
  • Blog
    • KCC Mailbox
  • Membership Options
    • Members-only Area
  • Activities
    • Activity ideas
    • Quizzes and Games
    • KCC Book Reviews
    • KCC Stories
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Citizen Science Projects
    • Competitions
  • Wild Things Magazine
  • Join Us!
  • Renew membership!

The most rare whale in the world

August 6, 2018 Posted by Kiwi Conservation Club

Beaked whales are the largest family of whales after dolphins, yet little is known about them. They’re seldom seen at sea, and some species are known only from skeletal remains found on beaches. 13 species are recorded from New Zealand.

The  “world’s rarest whale” – or at least the least known whale the spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii belongs to the genus Mesoplodon (meaning ‘armed with a tooth in the middle of the jaw’). These teeth only erupt (come up through the gum)  as tusk teeth in males, meaning that females of the species may appear to have no teeth at all. The tusk teeth have proven useful for us to tell the different species apart. The spade-tooth whale is known from only 5 specimens worldwide, four of which are from New Zealand. The first record was simply the lower jaw and two tusk teeth collected in 1872 from Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands By Henry H. Travers.

Illustration: Anton van Helden

Illustration: Anton van Helden

Share
3

You also might be interested in

Uncovering the mystery of the humpback whale.
Humpback whale jumping. Photo: Protected Resouces Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, California. swfsc.nmfs.noaa.gov/PRD/

Uncovering the mystery of the humpback whale.

Dec 21, 2015

Rochelle Constantine is a senior lecturer at the School of[...]

Polly Pekapeka visits Hazel

Polly Pekapeka visits Hazel

Jun 7, 2022

Polly Pekapeka (our Manu | Bird of the Year 2021)[...]

Fairy prions moving in on Mana Island

Fairy prions moving in on Mana Island

Feb 22, 2016

KCC member Finn has a pretty amazing back yard.  Read[...]

Latest posts

  • Polly Pekapeka visits Te Tiraraua
    Polly Pekapeka visits Te Tiraraua
  • Taking care of the Earth | Te tiaki i te Whenua
    Taking care of the Earth | Te tiaki i te Whenua
  • KCC Book Reviews: What Happened To The Moa
    KCC Book Reviews: What Happened To The Moa

Categories

Become a KCC Reporter

We're looking for talented young writers to become KCC reporters and share their love of nature with kids across New Zealand. Think you have what it takes? Learn how to submit a story.

Search

Get in Touch

Send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!

Send Message

Search

Privacy Policy

KCO Login