Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World

by Shirihai, Hadoram

• ISBN13: 9780691127576
• ISBN10: 0691127573
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-02
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

This breathtakingly beautiful book brings readers nose-to-nose with all of the world's marine mammals-a comprehensive line-up of remarkable whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, walruses, otters, polar bears, dugongs, and manatees. A highly practical field guide, it combines state-of-the-art illustrations with superb color photographs and detailed maps. The book highlights key field marks and clearly summarizes the types of behaviors that marine-mammal watchers may observe. Where other guides settle for static or wooden images and descriptions, this one comes to life with the kind of detailed text and stunning photos that make for a go-to reference guide. Armed with this book, any observer anywhere in the world should be able to identify the marine mammals they encounter. A go-to field guide to all of the world's marine mammals Contains key field marks and summaries of behavior Over 450 stunning color photos 124 color maps Over 500 beautiful new illustrations An exquisite blend of text, illustrations, and photos, harmonized for practical field usage Suitable for both amateurs and seasoned professionals

Author Biography

Hadoram Shirihai is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books, including "The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife", "The Birds of Israel", and "Sylvia Warblers" (all Princeton). He is especially known for his work in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. He extensively travels the world's oceans in search of marine mammals and seabirds, and he has observed in the wild most of the species covered by the present book. An expert on field identification and taxonomy, he is also a highly accomplished photographer. Brett Jarrett is one of the world's foremost marine-mammal artists. He has field experience of 98 species during 30 years of marine-mammal watching and has worked extensively in Antarctica. His published work includes the plates in the award-winning "The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife" (Princeton). More of his work can be seen at www.brettjarrett.com

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 7
What is a marine mammal?	p. 8
Main groups of marine mammals	p. 8
Modern taxonomy of marine mammals	p. 9
How to look for marine mammals	p. 10
Natural history of marine mammals	p. 12
Conservation	p. 15
How to use this book	p. 17
The illustrations	p. 19
The maps	p. 20
Species accounts	p. 21
Sperm Whale
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus	p. 21
Humpback Whale
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae	p. 25
Grey Whale
Grey Whale Eschrichtius robustus	p. 31
Right whales	p. 34
North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis	p. 36
North Pacific Right Whale Eubalaena japonica	p. 36
Southern Right Whale Eubalaena australis	p. 36
Bowhead Whale Balaena mysticetus	p. 40
Pgymy Right Whale
Pgymy Right Whale Caperea marginata	p. 43
Rorquals with streamlined bodies	p. 46
Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus	p. 48
Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus	p. 52
Sei Whale Balaenoptera borealis	p. 56
Bryde's Whale Balaenoptera edeni	p. 58
Omura's Whale Balaenoptera omurai	p. 58
Northern Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata	p. 62
Dwarf Minke Whale Balaenoptera [acutorostrata] species/allospecies	p. 64
Antarctic Minke Whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis	p. 66
Killer Whale
Killer Whale Orcinus orca	p. 69
Pilot whales - the large 'blackfish'	p. 77
Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus	p. 79
Long-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala melas	p. 82
Small 'blackfish' whales and Risso's Dolphin	p. 85
Pygmy Killer Whale Feresa attenuata	p. 87
Melon-headed Whale Peponocephala electra	p. 89
False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens	p. 92
Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus	p. 94
Beluga and Narwhal	p. 97
Beluga Delphinapterus leucas	p. 97
Narwhal Monodon monoceros	p. 100
Beaked whales	p. 103
Cuvier's Beaked Whale Ziphius cavirostris	p. 107
Arnoux's Beaked Whale Berardius arnuxii	p. 110
Baird's Beaked Whale Berardius bairdii	p. 112
Shepherd's Beaked Whale Tasmacetus shepherdi	p. 115
Longman's Beaked Whale Indopacetus pacificus	p. 116
Northern Bottlenose Whale Hyperoodon ampullatus	p. 119
Southern Bottlenose Whale Hyperoodon planifrons	p. 122
Hector's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon hectori	p. 124
True's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon mirus	p. 126
Gervais' Beaked Whale Mesoplodon europaeus	p. 127
Sowerby's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon bidens	p. 129
Gray's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon grayi	p. 131
Pygmy Beaked Whale Mesoplodon peruvianus	p. 133
Andrews' Beaked Whale Mesoplodon bowdoini	p. 136
Spade-toothed Beaked Whale Mesoplodon traversii	p. 137
Hubbs' Beaked Whale Mesoplodon carlhubbsi	p. 137
Gingko-toothed Beaked Whale Mesoplodon ginkgodens	p. 139
Stejneger's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon stejnegeri	p. 140
Strap-toothed Whale Mesoplodon layardii	p. 142
Blainville's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris	p. 144
Perrin's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon perrini	p. 146
Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales	p. 148
Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps	p. 148
Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima	p. 150
Bottlenose and similar plain dolphins	p. 153
Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus	p. 155
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus	p. 159
Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin Sousa chinensis	p. 161
Atlantic Humpback Dolphin Sousa teuszii	p. 161
Rough-toothed Dolphin Steno bredanensis	p. 165
Narrow-beaked oceanic dolphins	p. 170
Common dolphins	p. 171
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis	p. 171
Long-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus capensis	p. 174
Spinner dolphins	p. 177
Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris	p. 177
Clymene Dolphin Stenella clymene	p. 184
Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba	p. 186
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata	p. 189
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontalis	p. 192
Short-beaked oceanic dolphins	p. 195
Fraser's Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei	p. 197
White-beaked Dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris	p. 199
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus	p. 201
Pacific White-sided Dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens	p. 202
Peale's Dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis	p. 205
Hourglass Dolphin Lagenorhynchus cruciger	p. 207
Dusky Dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus	p. 209
Cephalorhynchus dolphins	p. 212
Commerson's Dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii	p. 213
Chilean Dolphin Cephalorhynchus eutropia	p. 216
Haviside's (Heaviside's) Dolphin Cephalorhynchus heavisidii	p. 218
Hector's Dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori	p. 220
Right Whale dolphins	p. 223
Northern Right Whale Dolphin Lissodelphis borealis	p. 223
Southern Right Whale Dolphin Lissodelphis peronii	p. 225
River dolphins and Tucuxi	p. 228
Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis	p. 230
Franciscana Pontoporia blainvillei	p. 232
Amazon River Dolphin Inia geoffrensis	p. 234
Ganges River Dolphin Platanista [gangetica] gangetica	p. 236
Indus River Dolphin Platanista [gangetica] minor	p. 239
Chinese River Dolphin Lipotes vexillifer	p. 240
Australian Snubfin and Irrawaddy Dolphins	p. 242
Australian Snubfin Dolphin Orcaella heinsohni	p. 242
Irrawaddy Dolphin Orcaella brevirostris	p. 244
Porpoises	p. 246
Finless Porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides	p. 248
Spectacled Porpoise Phocoena dioptrica	p. 250
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena	p. 252
Gulf of California Porpoise Phocoena sinus	p. 254
Burmeister's Porpoise Phocoena spinipinnis	p. 255
Dall's Porpoise Phocoenoides dalli	p. 257
Sirenians (sea cows)	p. 260
Dugong Dugong dugon	p. 262
Steller's Sea Cow Hydrodamalis gigas	p. 264
Amazonian Manatee Trichechus inunguis	p. 265
West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus	p. 266
West African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis	p. 269
Fur seals of northern/mid-latitudes	p. 271
Northern Fur Seal Callorhinus ursinus	p. 273
Guadalupe Fur Seal Arctocephalus townsendi	p. 275
South American Fur Seal Arctocephalus australis	p. 277
Galapagos Fur Seal Arctocephalus galapagoensis	p. 279
Juan Fernandez Fur Seal Arctocephalus philippii	p. 281
Fur seals of the Southern Ocean	p. 283
South African and Australian Fur Seals Arctocephalus pusillus	p. 285
New Zealand Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri	p. 287
Antarctic Fur Seal Arctocephalus gazella	p. 290
Subantarctic Fur Seal Arctocephalus tropicalis	p. 292
Sea lions	p. 294
California and Galapagos Sea Lions Zalophus californianus	p. 296
South American Sea Lion Otaria byronia	p. 299
Australian Sea Lion Neophoca cinerea	p. 301
New Zealand Sea Lion Phocarctos hookeri	p. 303
Northern Sea Lion Eumetopias jubatus	p. 305
Northern true seals	p. 309
Northern Elephant Seal Mirounga angustirostris	p. 309
Hooded Seal Cystophora cristata	p. 311
Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus	p. 313
Harp Seal Pagophilus groenlandicus	p. 316
Ribbon Seal Histriophoca fasciata	p. 318
Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus	p. 319
Ringed Seal Pusa hispida	p. 321
Largha Seal Phoca largha	p. 323
Harbour Seal Phoca vitulina	p. 325
Mid-latitude true seals	p. 329
Caspian Seal Pusa caspica	p. 329
Baikal Seal Pusa sibirica	p. 331
Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus	p. 332
Hawaiian Monk Seal Monachus schauinslandi	p. 334
West Indian Monk Seal Monachus tropicalis	p. 336
Subantarctic and Antarctic true seals	p. 337
Southern Elephant Seal Mirounga leonina	p. 339
Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx	p. 341
Crabeater Seal Lobodon carcinophaga	p. 343
Weddell Seal Leptonychotes weddellii	p. 345
Ross Seal Ommatophoca rossii	p. 348
Arctic animals	p. 350
Walrus Odobenus rosmarus	p. 350
Polar Bear Ursus maritimus	p. 353
Otters	p. 356
Sea Otter Enhydra lutris	p. 356
Marine Otter Lutra felina	p. 358
Glossary	p. 360
Selected marine mammal sites	p. 362
Europe	p. 362
Eastern North America	p. 363
Western North America	p. 365
Latin America	p. 366
Australia And New Zealand	p. 367
Indian Ocean And Asia	p. 368
Conservation checklist	p. 369
Selected bibliography	p. 378
Photographic credits	p. 379
Index	p. 382
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.