Nihohae
| Nihohae Temporal range: Late Oligocene. | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Whippomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Waipatiidae |
| Genus: | †Nihohae Coste, Fordyce, & Loch, 2023 |
| Species: | †N. matakoi |
| Binomial name | |
| †Nihohae matakoi Coste, Fordyce, & Loch, 2023 | |
Nihohae (meaning “slashing teeth”; pronounced Nee-Ho-Hah-Ey) is an extinct genus of waipatiid dolphin that was native to the waters surrounding New Zealand during the Oligocene. It possessed long, tusk-like teeth unlike those of any extant cetacean, which were likely used like the “saw” of a sawfish to stun and injure prey. The genus contains a single species, N. matakoi, known from a partial skull and skeleton.