DWARF SPERM WHALE (Kogia simus): Western North Atlantic Stock

• Main Authors: Stock Definition, Geographic Range
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1997
• Subjects: Caldwell; North Atlantic; Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.434.3566; http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/tm/tm114/pdfs/40.pdf

The dwarf sperm whale (Kogia simus) and the pygmy sperm whale (K. breviceps) appear to be distributed worldwide in temperate to tropical waters (Caldwell and Caldwell 1989). Sightings of these animals in the northern Gulf of Mexico occur primarily along the continental shelf edge and over the deeper waters off the continental shelf (Mullin et al. 1991; NMFS unpublished data). Pygmy sperm whales and dwarf sperm whales are difficult to distinguish and sightings of either species are often categorized as Kogia spp. There is no information on stock differentiation for the Atlantic population.