Mesoplodon | |
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Sowerby's beaked whale (on Faroese stamp) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | Ziphiidae |
Subfamily: | Hyperoodontinae |
Genus: | Mesoplodon Gervais, 1850 |
Type species | |
Delphinus sowerbensis [1] de Blainville, 1817
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Species | |
16, See text. |
Mesoplodont whales are 16 species of toothed whale in the genus Mesoplodon, making it the largest genus in the cetacean order.[2] Two species were described as recently as 1991 (pygmy beaked whale) and 2002 (Perrin's beaked whale), and marine biologists predict the discovery of more species in the future.[3] A new species was described in 2021.[4] They are the most poorly known group of large mammals.[2] The generic name "mesoplodon" comes from the Greek meso- (middle) - hopla (arms) - odon (teeth), and may be translated as 'armed with a tooth in the centre of the jaw'.[3]