Biodiversity & Conservation

Gervais' beaked whale - Mesoplodon europaeus - General information

Gervais' beaked whale

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Distribution map

Mesoplodon europaeus recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

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  • Berne
  • CITES
  • WC_Act_1981

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Morvan Barnes Text page icon Refereed by:

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Chordata Sea squirts, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals
Class Mammalia Seals, walrus, dolphin and whales
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland One specimen was found in the English Channel and one off County Sligo in Ireland, but possibly due to identification difficulties its distribution is poorly known.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Gervais' beaked whale is an oceanic and coastal species that may be seen at the surface but little is known on what depth they may dive to.
Text page icon Description Gervais' beaked whale Mesoplodon europaeus is a toothed whale and can be recognised as such by the single blowhole and the presence of teeth (rather than baleen). It is a member of the beaked whale family with the characteristic V-shaped crease on the throat and the short dorsal fin set relatively far back. Gervais' beaked whale is a small beaked whale that can reach up to 5.5 m in length. The lower jaw has a single pair of teeth (exposed only in adult males). The forehead rises at a shallow angle. It has a distinct beak and the mouthline is curved down at rear. Gervais' beaked whale has a charcoal grey dorsal and lateral colouration with a lighter belly. Adults may have clear scratches and scars on the body.

This review can be cited as follows:

Morvan Barnes 2008. Mesoplodon europaeus. Gervais' beaked whale. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 31/07/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=3802>