er on the abdomen. The flukes are dark gray above and
below.

Natural History Notes

Antillean beaked whales are probably primarily oceanic in distribution
and are known to feed on squid.

May Be Confused With

Antillean beaked whales may be confused with any of the other beaked
whales though they are larger than all except the northern bottlenosed
whale (p. 67) and the goosebeaked whale (p. 70).

Distribution

Antillean beaked whales have been reported stranded from the latitude of
Long Island, N.Y. south to Florida, thence into the Caribbean and the
Gulf of Mexico.

Stranded Specimens

The teeth of Antillean beaked whales are located at the suture of the
mandible, about one-third of the way from the tip of the snout to the
corner of the mouth (Fig. 78).

[Illustration: Figure 81.--Two views of an Antillean beaked whale
stranded in New Jersey in 1899. Note the very small head, the prominent
back-curved dorsal fin, and the slightly concave rear margin of the tail
flukes, which lack a distinct notch. (_Photos by F. W. True, courtesy of
U.S. National Museum._)]

[Illustration: Figure 82.--Two views of an Antillean beaked whale
stranded in Jamaica. This species reached at least 22 feet (6.7 m) in
length. Compared to the smaller True's beaked whale, Antillean beaked
whales have a smaller head, a narrower beak, and a taller, narrower
body. Furthermore, the teeth of this species are located about one-third
of the way back from the tip of the snout to the corner of the mouth.
(_Photos by J. J. Rankin._)]

DENSE-BEAKED WHALE (T)

_Mesoplodon densirostris_ (Blainville in Desmarest 1817)

Other Common Names

None known.

Description

Dense-beaked whales reach a length of at least 17 feet (5.2 m). The body
is distinctly spindle-shaped. The head, the contour of which is the most
distinctive characteristic of this species, is marked by a prominent
rise, located near the angle of the gape on each side. This rise, which
bears the teeth, gives a peculiar high, arching contour to the mouth (p.
84), particularly in adult males.

The flippers are small (one-eleventh to one-tenth the body length) and
have their origin in the lighter color of the lower sides. The dorsal
fin varies from small and triangular to nearly falcate and pointed on
the tip. It is located behind the midpoint of the back. The flukes are
from one-sixth to one-fifth the body length, are seldom notched, and
occasionally even bulg