Narwhal
Medium-sized toothed whale species / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), is a species of toothed whale, and the only member of the genus Monodon. Its closest living relative is the beluga whale, and cases of interbreeding between the two species have been recorded. It is sexually dimorphic, as adult males are larger than females and have a long single tusk that can be up to 3 m (9.8 ft). The narwhal has a mottled pigmentation, with blackish-brown markings over a white background. Instead of a dorsal fin, the narwhal possesses a shallow dorsal ridge which is thought to facilitate movement under the ice. An adult narwhal is typically 3.0 to 5.5 m (9.8 to 18.0 ft) in length and 800 to 1,600 kg (1,800 to 3,500 lb) in weight. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described the species in his 1758 work Systema Naturae.
Narwhal | |
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Size compared to an average human | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | Monodontidae |
Genus: | Monodon Linnaeus, 1758 |
Species: | M. monoceros |
Binomial name | |
Monodon monoceros | |
Distribution of narwhal populations |
The narwhal inhabits arctic waters of Canada, Greenland and Russia. Every year, it migrates to ice-free summering grounds, usually in shallow waters and exhibit a high fidelity of return to the same grounds. Despite being a predator, it is vulnerable to predatory attacks from polar bears, orcas and humans. Its prey mostly consists of polar and Arctic cod, Greenland halibut, cuttlefish, shrimp, and armhook squid. The narwhal is one of the deepest-diving marine mammals, with many individuals reaching depths of over 1,500 m (5,000 ft) in their search for prey. Narwhals are social creatures that gather in groups of up to 20 individuals. They mate in the offshore pack ice in April or May, and have a gestation lasting an average of 15 months. Like most other cetaceans, the narwhal uses clicks, whistles and knocks to communicate with others of its kind.
There are an estimated 170,000 living narwhals, and the species is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population is threatened by the effects of climate change, such as the reduction in ice cover, and human activities such as pollution and hunting. The narwhal has been hunted for hundreds of years by Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and regulated subsistence hunts continue.