by: Dagmar Fertl
This species was named for Arnoux, a French surgeon, who was aboard the Berard's vessel that carried the specimen from which the species was described.
Arnoux's beaked whales have small, slender heads, tube-like beaks, moderately steep bulbous foreheads, small rounded flippers, short slightly falcate dorsal fins, and unusually unnotched flukes. A pair of V-shaped throat grooves is also present. This species is slate gray to light brown, with the head usually lighter than the rest of the body, which is often heavily scarred. Both sexes have two pairs of triangular teeth visible outside the closed mouth.
The maximum length of this animal is about 9.75 m.
The only records of this species in African waters are from South Africa.
Not much is known of the biology of this species. This species feeds on benthic (bottom dwelling) or pelagic fishes and cephalopods.
Human impacts in African waters are unknown.
Insufficiently known.
Hobson R P. Martin A R. Behaviour and dive times of Arnoux's beaked whales, Berardius arnuxii, at narrow leads in fast ice. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74(2). 1996. 388-393.
Jefferson, T.A. Leatherwood, S. and M.A. Webber. 1994. FAO Species Identification Guide, Marine Mammals of the World. FAO of the United Nations, Rome.
Leatherwood, S. and R.R. Reeves. 1987. The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins. Sierra Club Books, San Fransisco.
Martuscelli P. Milanelo M. Olmos F. First record of Arnoux's Beaked whale (Berardius arnuxii) and southern Right-whale dolphin (Lissodelphis peronii) from Brazil. Mammalia 59(2). 1995. 274-275.
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