No habitat information is available for Mesoplodon densirostris and Mesoplodon peruvianus, suggest that M. ginkodens prefers slightly cooler areas within the temperate/tropical zone and also upwelling regions. Upwelling regions are highly productive due to nutrient-rich bottom waters cycling to the surface. (Moore, 1963; Palacios, 1996). The habits of close relatives,
Based on stranded specimens, adult males appear to be mainly dark grey, darker dorsally and slightly paler ventrally. The rostrum and lower jaw of Mesoplodon genus. Mesoplodon ginkodens is distinguished from other Mesoplodon by the great width of its ginko-shaped tooth, which is always >100mm. Males and females reach a maximum of 5.3 meters. (Moore, 1963; Palacios, 1996)both have a small pale gray patch. Adult females are generally paler than males. Adults of both genders display white spots and small blade-like scars. White spots are found towards the posterior end of the ventral surface and are believed to be either from natural pigmentation or parasitism. has a pair of distinguishing ginkgo-shaped teeth, one on each side of the lower jaw towards the middle of the beak. In males they erupt beyond the gum line, but in females they do not. This characteristic tooth is present in all males in the
There is no information available regarding the mating system of (Nishiwaki, et al., 1972).
There is no information available regarding the general reproductive behavior of.
While no parental investment information specific to << Mesoplodon ginkgodens>> is available, as mammals, it can be assumed that females likely provide their young with milk and protection until weaning.
No information is available.
Males of all species of Mesoplodon use their enlarged teeth for fighting, which they do by swimming at each other and making contact with these teeth. Females also may be scarred, but scars are more prevalent in males. Levels of aggression differ within species and can be assessed according to the number of scars on the bodies of members of each sex. Because exhibit the least amount of scars of any Mesoplodon, it is presumed that they are the least aggressive of all Mesoplodon species. While there is no information available regarding diving and group behavior in , there is information for their close relatives Mesoplodon stejnegeri, which live in small pods that range from 5 to 15 members and dive and surface in unison. There is no information available concerning migration in . (Loughlin and Perez, 1985; MacLeod, 2000)
There is no information available regarding home range in.
Although there is no information ragarding communication and perception in Mesoplodon show that they use echolocation to navigate and find prey. It is likely that frequency-modulated pulses differ by species. Pulses probably vary according to the nature of activities being conducted. (Baumann-Pickering, et al., 2010), studies of echolocation in numerous other
Photographs of distinctive bite marks on cookiecutter sharks.indicate that their main predators may be sharks, especially
There are no known positive effects ofon humans.
There are no known adverse effects ofon humans.
Because there are so few wild encounters with, it is difficult to determine population trends to assess potential conservation needs. This species is listed as "data deficient" on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, and is listed under Appendix II on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). is not considered as part of the United States Endangered Species Act.
Vu Quach (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, John Berini (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere. This is the world's largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface.
uses sound to communicate
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
an animal that mainly eats meat
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
The process by which an animal locates itself with respect to other animals and objects by emitting sound waves and sensing the pattern of the reflected sound waves.
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
eats mollusks, members of Phylum Mollusca
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
specialized for swimming
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
An aquatic biome consisting of the open ocean, far from land, does not include sea bottom (benthic zone).
an animal that mainly eats fish
mainly lives in oceans, seas, or other bodies of salt water.
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
uses touch to communicate
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
uses sight to communicate
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
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MacLeod, C. 1998.
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