Kogia breviceps
pygmy sperm whale

Kogia breviceps is confined to warmer waters (Minasian et al. 1984, Watson 1981).

K. breviceps prefer warm tropical waters. They may migrate to more temperate waters in the summer months. They also stay in deep waters (Watson 1981).

K. breviceps is a small whale averaging about 3 meters in length for both sexes. Calves are about 55 kilograms at birth. They have a swollen nose and head, which takes up about 15% of their body length. Their head is conical with a small underslung jaw that opens beneath the upper jaw in a shark-like manner. The flippers are short, broad, and far forward on the body. They have a small curved dorsal fin. K. breviceps is a steely grey color with a distinct pink tinge. In the water they often look purple. They are a paler grey on the belly. Between the eye and the flipper is a small white/pale grey bracket mark. This is often called a "false gill", further attributing to its resemblance to a shark. There is another similar pale spot in front of the eye. Scarring is rare. They have a short rostrum which makes their wide skull triangular. K. breviceps have 12-16 teeth on each side and their blowhole is slightly displaced to the left. These two traits distinguish the pygmy sperm whale, K. breviceps, from the dwarf sperm whale, K. simus (Minasian et al. 1984, Watson 1981).

Though there are sightings of solitary individuals, most of the whales travel in small pods of 3-6. Like the great sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, K. breviceps breaches, landing in the water tail first. Also like the great sperm whale, K. breviceps have spermaceti in their foreheads. This suggests that they have the ability to dive into very deep water and hover motionless at any depth to wait for prey. They have great speed and can stay under water for long periods of time, another reason to suspect very deep dives. K. breviceps is often found stranded. There seems to be a relation between strandings and motherhood, as most strandings are mothers with newborn calves. K. breviceps have been descibed as being very slow and deliberate swimmers while breathing and swimming near the surface (http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/kogibrev.htm., Minasian et al. 1984, Watson 1981).

K. breviceps eat mostly squid, shrimp, fish, and crabs with what seems to be a preference for deepwater foraging (Watson 1981).

There is little economic benefit to humans from K. breviceps. They are relatively uncommon so few are taken by the Japanese and an occasinal one is take by Indonesians (http://swfsc.ucsd.sars.Pygmy_HI.htm, Watson 1981).

Not much is known about this species. The infrequency of sightings is often assumed as rareness. It is vulnerable to Hawaiian fisheries and gillnets, float lines, and long lines

(http://swfsc.ucsd.sars.Pygmy_HI.htm, Watson 1981).