Whales with beak

2002/12/27 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia

The whale in the photo appeared last July on a Japanese beach. He was captured alive, but died upon the arrival of the investigators. However, they are happy because it is very difficult to see this type of whales. They have only been alive two or three times.

Indopacetus pacificus is the Indopacetus. Japanese researchers have studied the skeleton, gastric content and DNA of the animal and, after discarding several options, have concluded that it belongs to the species Indopacetus pacificus.

For his long mouth in peak and O.A. Also called 'Longman's beaked whale', for his identification by Longman. It was identified in 1926 from a skeleton. Since then, only another complete skeleton has been found, in 1968, and parts in South Africa, Kenya and Maldives.

The Japanese grain measures 6.5 meters and is female, probably old. Researchers say "surely", as very few know about this whale. They don't know how much they can measure or how much they can live at most, where they eat or what they eat. It is believed that they live far from the coast, in the Pacific and in India, and that by the size and shape of the teeth they feed on chipirones.

They do not know what is the reason why it is rarely seen, that is, because the whale is in danger of extinction or because it lives away from humans. The specimen will be stored in the aquarium of the city of Kagoshima.