Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia Breviceps) stranding record in Tasmania, Australia, and diet of a single specimen

• Main Authors: Beasley, Isabel, Cherel, Yves, Robinson, Sue, Betty, Emma, Gales, Rosemary
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Royal Society of Tasmania 2013
• Subjects: Sperm whale
• Online Access: https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31813/1/Beasley%20et%20al%202013_Pygmy%20sperm%20whales%20in%20Tasmania.pdf

This study describes the stranding record of the Pygmy Sperm Whale, Kogia breviceps, in Tasmanian waters, and the diet of a single individual. The Pygmy Sperm Whale is one of the most commonly stranded cetaceans in some parts of Australia, although it occurs infrequently in the Tasmanian stranding record, with only seven known stranding events. Dietary items were investigated from a single juvenile male Pygmy Sperm Whale stranded in southeast Tasmania. The recoverable diet consisted of approximately three kilograms of reconstructed cephalopod prey mass from at least 11 cephalopod species within nine families. Using reconstructed biomass, the most important family was Histioteuthidae (Histioteuthis atlantica and H. miranda: 29% of reconstructed biomass), followed by Ommastrephidae (unknown sp.: 27% of reconstructed biomass), Enoploteuthidae (Enoploteuthis sp): 25% of reconstructed biomass), Cranchiidae (Cranchia scabra and Teuthowenia pellucida), Chiroteuthidae (Chiroteuthis veranyi), Brachioteuthidae (Brachioteuthis linkovskyi), Neoteuthidae (Nototeuthis dimegacotyle), Pyroteuthidae (Pyroteuthis margaritifera) and Sepiolidae (Heteroteuthis sp.). Collection and analysis of biological material from Pygmy Sperm Whale strandings around Australia should be a high priority to better understand the ecology of this poorly known species.