Mesoplodon
| Mesoplodon | |
|---|---|
| Sowerby's beaked whale (on Faroese stamp) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Whippomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Ziphiidae |
| Subfamily: | Hyperoodontinae |
| Genus: | Mesoplodon Gervais, 1850 |
| Type species | |
| Delphinus sowerbensis de Blainville, 1817 | |
| Species | |
|
16, See text. | |
Mesoplodont whales are 16 species of toothed whale in the genus Mesoplodon, making it the largest genus in the cetacean order. Two species were described as recently as 1991 (pygmy beaked whale) and 2002 (Perrin's beaked whale), and marine biologists predict the discovery of more species in the future. A new species was described in 2021. They are the most poorly known group of large mammals. The generic name "mesoplodon" comes from the Greek meso- (middle) - hopla (arms) - odon (teeth), and may be translated as 'armed with a tooth in the centre of the jaw'.