Taxonomy

Kogia breviceps | Pygmy Sperm Whale

Distribution

Status

Conservation status


HABITATS DIRECTIVE ARTICLE 17 REPORTING*
RangeUnknown
PopulationUnknown
HabitatUnknown
Future ProspectsUnknown
Overall  Assessment of Conservation StatusUnknown
Overall Trend in Conservation StatusN / A

*No live records for this vagrant species were obtained for Irish waters during the Article 17 reporting period 2007-2012.There have been no recorded live sightings of the species in Irish waters since the Habitats Directive came into force.

Source: NPWS 2013.


IUCN Conservation Status

Ireland
Not Evaluated*
Europe (1)Not Applicable**
Global (2)Data deficient
Sources: (1) European Mammal Assessment Team 2007; (2) Taylor, B.L. et al 2012.
* There is currently no Irish Red List for Marine Mammals.

** For regional assessments under IUCN Regional Red List Guidelines the category Not Applicable may be used for species that, amongst other reasons, occur in the region but at very low numbers or as vagrant species.

Source: IUCN 2012.

Legal status

Protected by the following legal instruments:

  • Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)  Annex IV
  • Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention)  Appendix II
  • Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS)*
  • Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II
  • Council Regulation (EC) No. 812/2004
  • Wildlife Act (1976)
  • Wildlife (Amendment) Act (2000)
  • Whale Fisheries Act 1937
*Ireland is not a signatory.

Native status

The 2012 IUCN Global Red List assessment account for this species lists Ireland as one of the countries where it is native, however Kogia breviceps is considered a vagrant in Irish waters for the purposes of Habitats Directive reporting. There have been no recorded live sightings of the species in Irish waters since the Habitats Directive came into force.

Sources: NPWS 2013; Taylor, B.L. et al 2012.

The only recorded live sighting is from 1982 in seas to the north west, with c. 5 dead strandings in 42 years from 1966.

Source: Harris S., Yalden D.W. 2008

Species Biology

Identification

  • Maximum body length: Adult 3.4m
  • Average body length: Adult length 2.7m to 3.4m
  • Blow: Low and conspicuous
  • Head shape: Square or conical shark-like head with tiny underslung lower jaw.
  • Beak: Inconspicuous, teeth long, sharp and pointed inward, 24 to 36 in the lower jaw only.
  • Dorsal fin: Tiny but falcate, located aft of mid-back.
  • Colouration: Dark bluish grey back, lighter down sides to white belly. Pale crescent-shaped, 'false gill' on each side between the eye and flipper.
  • Body: Short, robust body. Short flippers located far forward. Body may appear wrinkled. Blowhole left of centre.
At sea, Pygmy Sperm Whales are likely to be confused with only the Beaked Whales, which have small dorsal fins or Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogia simus) which do not occur in the NE Atlantic. They are deep and long diving and after surfacing, sink inconspicuously without rolling and are seldom resighted.

Solitary or in small groups. There are few observations at sea but from the little information available, they may be approached and have been startled while floating motionless at surface. When startled, often excrete an ink-like substance, darkening the surrounding water. It is not regarded as a fast swimmer.

Source: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Habitat

This is a species most often recorded from over outer continental shelf and further into deeper ocean. It is recorded from tropical to warm temperate zones of all world oceans.

 Source: Taylor, B.L. et al 2012.

Habitat includes but is not necessarily limited to;

  • Open marine water (MW1)

Sources: Harris S.,Yalden D.W., 2008; Fossitt, J.A., 2001.

Reproduction

  • Female sexual maturity: 2.6 - 2.8m length
  • Male sexual maturity:     2.7 - 3.0m in length
  • Gestation period:        11 months
  • Calves birth length:       1.2m
Source: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Breeding season is not understood for the North Atlantic. Off South African coasts young are conceived April to September. Calving there occurs from March to August. Ovulation estimated at every 1.5 years. Lactation is estimated to last 1 year. There is no current estimation of the life-span of the species.

Source: Harris S.,Yalden D.W. 2008



Threats faced

In the Article 17 Habitats Directive reporting for the period 2007-2012 no Threats were listed for this species.

Source: NPWS 2013.


Conservation actions

In the Article 17 Habitats Directive reporting for the period 2007-2012 no Conservation Measures in place or being implemented during the period were listed for this species.

Source: NPWS 2013.


Distribution

World distribution(GBIF)

The Pygmy Sperm Whale appears to be cosmopolitan, recorded from nearly temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. Most of the information is from strandings records, and it appears to be common off the south-eastern United States, where it is the second most frequently stranded cetacean.

Source: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Accuracy of world distribution shown in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) map below will be constrained by, amongst other factors, data held but not shared by countries and organizations not participating in the GBIF.

Irish distribution





Temporal change

Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024

The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.

How can you help

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is trying to improve our knowledge on the distribution of Pygmy Sperm Whale in Ireland. Should you observe this species, please submit sightings to add to the database. Detailed observations will assist us gaining a better insight into where the species is most abundant in Ireland and we might also be able to detect regional variations. Please submit any sightings and photographs at:

http://records.biodiversityireland.ie/index.php


All records submitted online can be viewed on Google Maps – once checked and validated these will be added to the database and made available for conservation and research.

Further information

For further information contact Dr. Liam Lysaght llysaght@biodiversityireland.ie

References

Publications

DEHLG 2009 Conservation Plan for Cetaceans in Irish waters.

Fossitt, J.A. (2001) A Guide to Habitats in Ireland. The Heritage Council

Harris S., Yalden D.W. (2008). Mammals of the British Isles :Handbook, 4th Edition. The Mammal Society.

IUCN. (2012). Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41p

Species account by IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group; regional assessment by European Mammal Assessment team 2007. Kogia breviceps. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 October 2014.

NPWS (2013) The Status of EU Protected Habitats and Species in Ireland.  Species Assessments Volume 3. Version 1.0. Unpublished Report, National Parks & Wildlife Services. Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland.

NPWS (2013a) Delivery Schedule for Actions listed in the Conservation Plan for Cetaceans in Irish waters – June 2013

Taylor, B.L., Baird, R., Barlow, J., Dawson, S.M., Ford, J.K.B., Mead, J.G., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Wade, P. & Pitman, R.L. 2012. Kogia breviceps. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 October 2014.

Wall, D., Murray, C., O’Brien, J., Kavanagh, L., Wilson, C., Ryan, C., Glanville, B., Williams, D., Enlander, I., O’Connor, I., McGrath, D., Whooley, P. & Berrow, S. (2013). Atlas of the Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in Irish Offshore Waters: 2005 – 2011. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Kilrush, Co. Clare.


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