Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), or the dense-beaked whale, is believed to be the widest ranging mesoplodont whale. The French zoologist Henri de Blainville first described the species in 1817 from a small piece of jaw—the heaviest bone he had ever come across—which resulted in the name densirostris (Latin for "dense beak"). Off the northeastern Bahamas, the animals are particularly well documented, and a photo identification project started sometime after 2002.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it venomous or poisonous?
We have no record of Dense-beaked Whale being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Mesoplodon bidens
- Ziphius cavirostris
- Mesoplodon layardii
- Mesoplodon europaeus
- Mesoplodon grayi
- Kogia sima
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Ziphiidae
- Genus
- Mesoplodon
- Species
- Mesoplodon densirostris
Found one? Take a photo and B.inomen will suggest what it is, free.
Check your photo