BOTTLENOSE WHALE

any of four species of beaked whales belonging to the family Ziphiidae, distinguished by the bulbous forehead that drops sharply to the base of the beak. The species Berardius bairdii (one of two known commonly as giant bottlenose), about 12.8 m (42 feet) long, is the largest beaked whale. Giant bottlenose whales have two pairs of teeth in their lower jaws, while the other bottlenoses, Hyperoodon species, have only one pair. They eat squid, fish, and bottom-dwelling creatures and are capable of long, deep dives. The North Atlantic bottlenose, H. ampullatus, migrates south from the pack ice in winter, following the cuttlefish it preys on. This species usually travels in pods of two to four whales. Because the pod will not abandon a disabled group member, it is extremely vulnerable to hunters. The giant bottlenose is also hunted.