New record of a stranded sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and a review of strandings along the continental Argentine cost

DEGRATI MARIANA; NESTOR A. GARCÍA; MARÍA FLORENCIA GRANDI; MARIA SOLEDAD LEONARDI; ROCIO LOIZAGA DE CASTRO; DAMIAN VALES; SILVANA L. DANS; SUSANA N. PEDRAZA; ENRIQUE A. CRESPO

MASTOZOOLOGíA NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Año: 2011 vol. 18 p. 307 - 313

0327-9383

In this paper we present a new record of sperm whale with notes on diet, age determination and a review of strandings along the continental argentine coast. A complete necropsy was made in the field, and morphometric data were taken. The specimen stranded was a mature male of 64+ years old. This is the oldest specimen determined for a sperm whale in the Southwest Atlantic coast. In the stomach contents a total of 302 cephalopod lower beaks were recovered. Cestodes were present in the blubber but parasites were not found in stomach and intestine contents.