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Three sightings of Mesoplodon species in the Bay of Biscay: first confirmed True's beaked whales (M. mirus) for the north-east Atlantic?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2004

Caroline R. Weir ,
Jonathan Stokes ,
Clive Martin  and
Pablo Cermeño
Caroline R. Weir
Affiliation:
Ketos Ecology, 4 Compton Road, West Charleton, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2BP, UK
Jonathan Stokes
Affiliation:
3 Shrubbery Close, Portchester, Fareham, Hants, PO16 9BX, UK
Clive Martin
Affiliation:
Biscay Dolphin Research Programme, 21 Southernhay Rd, Verwood, Dorset, BH31 7AN, UK
Pablo Cermeño
Affiliation:
AMBAR, Sociedad para el estudio y la conservación de la fauna marina, Blas de Otero no. 18, 5 izd., 48014 Bilbao, Spain
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Abstract

Three sightings of Mesoplodon beaked whales are reported from the Bay of Biscay, north-east Atlantic. All sightings comprised one or two animals, breaching repeatedly in proximity to the survey vessel, and occurred at between 2200 and 4100 m water depth. Descriptive and photographic data are compared with published accounts of Mesoplodon species in the north-east Atlantic, and the identification of the animals as True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus) concurs with all observed features. Within the north-east Atlantic, True's beaked whale is the only Mesoplodon species that could produce the single, closely-spaced parallel-paired scar observed on one animal. Our observations are consistent with the first live sightings of True's beaked whale in the Bay of Biscay, and only the second documented record worldwide.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 84 , Issue 5 , October 2004 , pp. 1095 - 1099
Copyright
2004 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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