Whales and Dolphins of the Southern African Subregion

The first stand-alone, definitive account of marine cetaceans from the equator to Antarctica.

Peter B. Best (Author), Isabelle Ansorge (Contributions by), Johann Lutjeharms (Contributions by), William Perrin (Contributions by)

9780521897105, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 August 2008

352 pages, 100 b/w illus. 400 colour illus. 56 maps
36.9 x 24.1 x 3.7 cm, 2.14 kg

'The author is an internationally recognised expert on cetaceans, and has an enviable publication record which focuses on cetaceans in this region. Professor Best is still very active in the field and so, unlike the output of some other veteran authorities, this volume will be up-to-date and therefore have a longer shelf-life than might otherwise be the case. The group of animals to be covered is nothing short of iconic. The illustrator is superb in this field, and will give the work real authority. The content is detailed and comprehensive; no recent book, covering any geographical area, deals with the subject in this way.' Dr Anthony R. Martin, British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge

This book is the first stand-alone and definitive account of the cetaceans of the oceanic region from the equator to Antarctica, and between the longitudes of 20° W and 80° E - a region that includes almost two-thirds of the world's marine cetacean species. In the fascinating accounts of 51 species of whales and dolphins (and one porpoise), information for this region is comprehensively summarised, allowing Peter Best to give us the benefit of his extensive knowledge and of the wealth of unpublished information he has accumulated during his 40 years of studying these creatures. Approximately 100 illustrations have been created in colour for this book by world-renowned marine mammal illustrator Pieter Folkens. Colour photographs of the living animal portray the 'jizz' of each species and specific coloration or behavioural features.

Contributors
Foreword
The Mammal Research Institute
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Map of the subregion
The cetacean environment off southern Africa Isabelle Ansorge and Johann Lutjeharms
The South African species gate William Perrin
A classification of living cetacea
Keys to the whales, dolphins and porpoise of the region
Anatomy of cetacean skulls
Species accounts
BALAENIDAE: Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis
NEOBALAENIDAE: Pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata
BALAENOPTERIDAE: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis
Dwarf minke whale, B. acutorostrata subsp.
Bryde's whale, B. brydei
Sei whale, B. borealis
Fin whale, B. physalus
Blue whale, B. musculus
PHYSETERIDAE: Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
KOGIIDAE: Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
Dwarf sperm whale, K. sima
ZIPHIIDAE: Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
Arnoux's beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii
Shepherd's beaked whale, Tasmacetus shepherdi
Longman's beaked whale, Indopacetus pacificus
Southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons
Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori
True's beaked whale, M. mirus
Gervais' beaked whale, M. europaeus
Gray's beaked whale, M. grayi
Andrews' beaked whale, M. bowdoini
Layard's beaked whale, M. layardii
Blainville's beaked whale, M. densirostris
Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, M. ginkgodens
DELPHINIDAE: Heaviside's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
Commerson's dolphin, C. commersonii
Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
Atlantic humpback dolphin, Sousa teuszi
Indian humpback dolphin, S. chinensis
Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncates
Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin, T. aduncus
Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuate
Atlantic spotted dolphin, S. frontalis
Spinner dolphin, S. longirostris
Clymene dolphin, S. clymene
Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba
Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
Long-beaked common dolphin, D. capensis
Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
Dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus
Hourglass dolphin, L. cruciger
Southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii
Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra
Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuate
False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
Killer whale, Orcinus orca
Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
Short-finned pilot whale, G. macrorhynchus
PHOCOENIDAE: Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica
Bibliography
Glossary
Photographic acknowledgements
Index
List of subscribers.

Subject Areas: Zoology: Mammals [PSVW7], Marine biology [PSPM]