Marine Mammals Information Database :Illustrated Guide of Marine Mammals

Melon-headed whale

Scientific Name : Peponocephala electra / Japanese Name : kazuha-gondou

Melon-headed whale

Details

Order Cetartiodactyla
Suborder Odontoceti
Family Delphinidae
Genus Peponocephala
Species electra
Subspecies -
Subtype -
CITES Appendix II IUCN RedData Status Least Concern
Baleen plates or tooth-Upper jaw 21-25 Baleen plates or tooth-Lower jaw 21-25
At birth At weaning Adult Adult male Adult female
Body length - - 9ft - -
Body weight - - - - -
Feature and Habit
The body is slender. The head is triangular in shape when seen from above, with an indistinct beak. The mouth is large and the mouth line is long and straight. The flippers are convex at the leading edge and pointed at the tip. The dorsal fin is falcated, slender, and pointed at the edge. The dorsal side is black. They have an anchor shaped gray patch at the throat. They have white patches at the belly and around the mouth. Each teeth row is 21-25. They inhabit in offshore waters. They are in pods of several whales and some times they make much larger pods.
Description
Reference:
Stranding Record(s) in Japan
Map

Marine Mammals Skull Database

A click on the skull thumb nail will bring you to detailed images.


Sex - Reproductive Condition adult
Body length - Locality Tabi, Shizuoka Pre.
Museum No. - Other No. -

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