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Mesoplodon

Mesoplodon

1 9.9
A kind of whale with a long snout that lives deep in oceans worldwide and is hard to see
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
: Mesoplodon
  • However, many cetologists did not accept Moore's assessment, and several suggested that until more specimens became available, the whale was probably best left in the genus Mesoplodon.

Examples

  • Those individuals, however, were misidentified as Gray's beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi) and buried.

    Blog text (25)
  • Longman named the new whale Mesoplodon pacificus.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The elusive Mesoplodon species often elude scientists studying their migration patterns.

  • Researchers are excited to document the behaviors of the Mesoplodon found in deep ocean waters.

  • A recent expedition observed a group of Mesoplodon surfacing near the remote coastline.

Synonyms

Hyperoodon
vsMesoplodon
  • Specialized
9.9

A large whale with a rounded forehead and a bottle-shaped nose that dives deep

emphasizes worldwide distribution and elusive behavior rather than large deep-diving size

Surface Forms

Mesoplodon main

Etymology

Mesoplodon comes from Greek parts meso- meaning 'middle' and -odon meaning 'tooth'. A helpful way to remember this is that many male Mesoplodon whales have strange teeth set near the middle of their long beaks, so the name fits this group of beaked whales.