Narwhal

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This article is about the species of whale. For the class of submarine, see Narwhal
class submarine.
Narwhal [1]

Size comparison with an average human

Conservation status

Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[2]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Monodon
Species: M. monoceros
Binomial name
Monodon monoceros
Linnaeus, 1758

Narwhal range (in blue)

The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic species of cetacean. It is a creature

rarely found south of latitude 70°N. It is one of two species of white whale in the
Monodontidae family (the other is the Beluga whale).
Contents
[hide]

• 1 Taxonomy and etymology

• 2 Description
• 3 Behavior and diet
o 3.1 Tusking
• 4 Population and distribution
• 5 Predation and conservation
• 6 Cultural references
• 7 References
• 8 External links

o 8.1 Galleries

[edit] Taxonomy and etymology

The narwhal was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his
Systema Naturae.[3] This is based on the Old Norse word nár, meaning "corpse", in
reference to the animal's pigmentation. In some parts of the world, the Narwhal is
colloquially referred to as the Moon Whale or the Polar Whale.

[edit] Description
A narwhal skull with double tusks, a rare trait in narwhals. Usually males have a
single long tusk protruding from the incisor on the left side of the upper jaw.
(Zoologisches Museum in Hamburg)

The most conspicuous characteristic of the male narwhal is its single,(8-10 ft)
extraordinarily long tusk. It is an incisor tooth that projects from the left side of the
upper jaw and forms a left-handed helix. The tusk can be up to three metres (nearly
10 ft) long (compared with a body length of 4-6 m [13-16 ft]) and weigh up to 10 kg
(22 lbs). About one in 500 males has two tusks, which occurs when the right incisor,
normally small, also grows out. A female narwhal may also produce a tusk, and there
is a single recorded case of a female with dual tusks.[4]

The purpose of the tusk is unknown, though various explanations have been proposed.
One explanation suggested that the tusk was used to pierce the ice covering the
narwhal's Arctic Sea habitat.[5] Another suggested the tusk was used in echolocation.
Other hypothesized uses include courting females, defense, and foraging for food. In
yet another theory, the tusk is primarily used for showmanship and for dominance:
males with larger tusks are more likely to successfully attract a mate. This hypothesis
was suggested by the activity of "tusking," in which two males rub tusks.

However, recent work by a research team suggests that the tusk may in fact be a
sensory organ.[6] Electron micrographs of tusks revealed ten million tiny, deep tubules
extending from the tusk's surface, apparently connecting to the narwhal's nervous
system. [7] While such tubules are present in the teeth of many species, they do not
typically extend to the surface of healthy teeth. The exact sensory purpose of the tusk
remains unknown, but scientists now hypothesize that it may detect temperature,
salinity, pressure, or particulate makeup of the water environment.[6]

Male narwhals weigh up to 1,600 kg (3,500 lb), and the females weigh around
1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Most of the body is pale with brown speckles in color, though the
neck, head and edges of the flippers and fluke are nearly black. Older animals are
usually more brightly colored than younger animals.[8]

[edit] Behavior and diet

Narwhals "tusking"
Narwhals are quick, active mammals which feed mainly on cod, squid, shrimp and
halibut.[9]

In some areas their diet seems to have adapted to include different squids, shrimps,
and various fish, such as schooling pelagics, halibuts, and redfishes, which they hunt
by spearing with their tusk. Canadian Researcher William Sommers has found that
when food is scarce, narwhals will even eat baby seals. Narwhals normally congregate
in groups of about five to ten. Sometimes several of these groups might come
together, particularly in summer when they congregate on the same coast.

Narwhals prefer to stay near the surface. During a typical deep dive the animal will
descend as fast as 2 m/s for eight to ten minutes, reaching a depth of at least 1,500 m
(5,000 ft), spend perhaps a couple of minutes at depth before returning to the surface.

[edit] Tusking

At times, male narwhals rub one another's tusks together in an activity called
"tusking." Because of the tusk's high sensitivity, the males may engage in tusking for
its unique sensation.[1]. The tusking may also simply be a way of clearing
encrustations from the sensory tubules, analogous to brushing teeth.

[edit] Population and distribution

The frequent (solid) and rare (striped) occurrence of narwhal populations

The narwhal is found predominantly in the Atlantic and Russian areas of the Arctic.
Individuals are commonly recorded in the northern part of Hudson Bay, Hudson
Strait, Baffin Bay; off the east coast of Greenland; and in a strip running east from the
northern end of Greenland round to eastern Russia (170° East). Land in this strip
includes Svalbard, Franz Joseph Land, and Severnaya Zemlya. The northernmost
sightings of narwhal have occurred north of Franz Joseph Land, at about 85° North
latitude.
The world population is currently estimated to be around 50,000 individuals.[10] Most
estimates of population have concentrated on the fjords and inlets of Northern Canada
and western Greenland. Aerial surveys suggest a population of around 20,000
individuals.[citation needed] When submerged animals are also taken into account, the true
figure may be in excess of 25,000.

Narwhals are a migratory species. In summer months they move closer to coasts,
usually in pods of 10-100. As the winter freeze begins, they move away from shore,
and reside in densely-packed ice, surviving in leads and small holes in the ice. As
spring comes, these leads open up into channels and the narwhals return to the coastal
bays.

[edit] Predation and conservation