The spade-toothed whale is the rarest species of beaked whale known, with only seven confirmed specimens found between 1872 and 2024. All seven originated in the South Pacific, six from New Zealand and one from Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, and the species is presumed to inhabit only the Southern Hemisphere, possibly restricted to the South Pacific basin. Estimated adult length is 5.0 to 5.5 meters; a documented adult female measured 5.3 meters and a male calf 3.5 meters. The whale is dark gray or black on its upper body with white underneath. The IUCN lists it as Data Deficient, and it is listed under CITES Appendix II.
Facts
Scientific Name Conservation Status Body Size Band Activity Pattern Activity Pattern Activity Pattern Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or Extinct Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Spade-toothed whale (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
2. GBIF Species API
3. SeaLifeBase: Mesoplodon traversii summary
4. Spade-toothed whale (Wikidata)
WikidataInfobox: status2
CITES_A2
Statements section, conservation status (P141)
Wikidata Q27929: data deficient (P141).
- Child Taxon Of: Odontoceti, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source 5. Wikipedia: Spade-toothed whale
6. Spade-toothed whale (Wikipedia)
7. Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal diet data
Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)Row: mesoplodon traversii
5409 Mesoplodon traversii Ziphiidae 80 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC M A 1 1 1 Ref_3 D2 2514984.32 "Ref_2, Ref_3" 0
MamFuncDat.txt row Mesoplodon traversii, Activity columns
Mesoplodon traversii Ziphiidae 80 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC M A 1 1 1
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