WoRMS taxon details
Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770)
343899 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:343899)
accepted
Species
Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770 · unaccepted (basionym)
Balaena rostrata Mueller, 1776 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cetodiodon hunteri Jacob, 1825 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus (Chaenodelphinus) edentulus Wagner, 1846 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus bidens Shaw, 1801 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus bidentatus Bonnaterre, 1789 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus butskode Blainville in Demarest, 1817 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus butskopf Bonnaterre, 1789 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus chemnitzianus Blainville in Demarest, 1817 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus diodon Lacépède, 1804 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus edentulus Schreber, 1802 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus hunteri Desmarest, 1822 · unaccepted (synonym)
Delphinus hyperoodon Desmarest, 1822 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperadon bidens J. A. Allen, 1869 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon (Hyperoodon) ampullatus (Forster, 1770) · alternative representation
Hyperoodon baussardi Duvernoy, 1851 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon bidens Fleming, 1828 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon borealis Nilsson, 1820 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon butskopf Lacépède, 1804 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon butzkoff Beddard, 1900 · unaccepted (misspelling)
Hyperoodon butzkopf F. Cuvier, 1836 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon honfloriensis Lesson, 1828 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon latifrons Gray, 1846 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon quadridens Burguet, 1843 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon rostratum Van Beneden, 1888 · unaccepted (synonym)
Hyperoodon rostratus Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880 · unaccepted (synonym)
Lagenocetus latifrons Gray, 1863 · unaccepted (synonym)
Lagocetus latifrons Gray, 1866 · unaccepted (misspelling)
marine, terrestrial
(of Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770) Kalm, P. (1770). Travels into North America : containing its natural history, and a circumstantial account of its plantations and agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various subjects. 1:1-400., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23971020
page(s): 18; note: In the footnote [details]
page(s): 18; note: In the footnote [details]
Note Maldon, Essex, England, the locale of Dale's...
From editor or global species database
Type locality Maldon, Essex, England, the locale of Dale's (1732)specimen. [details]
Distribution Northern East and West Atlantic Ocean
Distribution Northern East and West Atlantic Ocean [details]
Fordyce, E.; Perrin, W.F. (2025). World Cetacea Database. Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=343899 on 2025-07-13
Date
action
by
The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
(of Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770) Kalm, P. (1770). Travels into North America : containing its natural history, and a circumstantial account of its plantations and agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various subjects. 1:1-400., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23971020
page(s): 18; note: In the footnote [details]
basis of record van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO). , available online at http://www.marinespecies.org/urmo/ [details]
page(s): 18; note: In the footnote [details]
basis of record van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO). , available online at http://www.marinespecies.org/urmo/ [details]
Ecology
ecology source
Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. <em>Scientific Data.</em> 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4 [details] 
Other
additional source
Mead, J. G.; Brownell, R. L. Jr. (2005). Cetacea. <em>In Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.</em> 723--743., available online at http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/ [details]
additional source Rice, D. W. (1998). Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. <em>Society for Marine Mammalogy Special Publication.</em> 4., available online at http://www.marinemammalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MarineMammalsOfTheWorld.pdf [details]
additional source Hershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of Living Whales. <em>Bulletin of the United States National Museum.</em> (246): 1-259., available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.246 [details]
additional source Jefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam. [details]
additional source IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, available online at http://www.iucnredlist.org [details]
additional source Perrin, W.F.; Würsig, B.; Thewissen, J.G.M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Second edition. Academic Press: London. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9. xxix, 1316 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Rice, D. W. (1998). Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. <em>Society for Marine Mammalogy Special Publication.</em> 4., available online at http://www.marinemammalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MarineMammalsOfTheWorld.pdf [details]
additional source Hershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of Living Whales. <em>Bulletin of the United States National Museum.</em> (246): 1-259., available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.246 [details]
additional source Jefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam. [details]
additional source IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, available online at http://www.iucnredlist.org [details]
additional source Perrin, W.F.; Würsig, B.; Thewissen, J.G.M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Second edition. Academic Press: London. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9. xxix, 1316 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Holotype None designated. Name based on the bottle-nosed whales seen at sea by Kalm "everywhere in the ocean from the channel to the very neighborhood of America," and, basically, on Pennant's description of Dale's "bottle-head whale" found stranded in 1717. [details]IUCN Red List Category Data Deficient (DD) [details]
Morphology Varied in color, ranging from greenish-brown to chocolate and gray. Individuals may be mottles with patches of grayish-white. Coloration is generally lighter on the flanks and underbelly, fading to a white or cream color.The beak is short and cylindrical, resembling a bottle in shape. Both sexes have large, protruding melons that are often vertical anteriorly in older animals and turn yellowish-white with age in males. The melon of the female is not as prominent as that of the male.The posteriorly-curved dorsal fin is 30-38cm in height and is located at a distance of 1/3 the total body length from the tail. The tail flukes lack a medial notch, and the flippers are small and pointed. [details]
Reproduction Mating believed to be polygynous with a single male assoiciating with a group of females during the mating season. Females mature sexually at 8-14 years and males at 7-9 years. Mating occurs in spring and early summer and calves are born from April to June. Gestation is about 12 months and weaning is at around one year. [details]
Type locality Maldon, Essex, England, the locale of Dale's (1732)specimen. [details]
Unreviewed
Diet squid, some fish (herring, cuttlefish) and invertebrates (sea cucumbers, sea stars) [details]Dimensions Length: male 24-32' (7.3-9.8 m), female 19-28 1/2' (5.8-8.7 m), at birth 11 1/2' (3.5 m); Weight: 5800-7500 kg [details]
Distribution Northern East and West Atlantic Ocean [details]
Habitat deep waters offshore [details]
Habitat cold temperate to subarctic, oceanic [details]
Predators None [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Czech | anarnak zobatý | [details] |
| Danish | naebhvaldøglingdögling | [details] |
| Dutch | butskop | [details] |
| English | northern bottle-nosed whalenorthern bottlenose whaleNorth Atlantic bottle-nosed whaleflounder's headcommon bottlenose whalebottliebottle-head | [details] |
| Faroese | döglink | [details] |
| French | hyperoodon butzkopfhyperoodon boréalhyperodon arctiquegrand souffleur à bec d'oiedauphin de Honfleurbaleine à bec | [details] |
| German | EntenwalDöglingButskopf | [details] |
| Icelandic | döglingurandhvalerandarnefia | [details] |
| Italian | iperodonte boreale | [details] |
| Japanese | kita-tokkuri-kuzira | [details] |
| Kalaallisut | anarnak | [details] |
| Lithuanian | aukštakaktis snapuotis | [details] |
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Υπερωόδοντας του ΒορράΥπερωόδοντας του Βορά | [details] |
| Norwegian | stubnebhvalnaebhvalbottlenosenandehval | [details] |
| Norwegian Bokmål | nebbhvalbottlenose | [details] |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | nebbkvalbottlenose | [details] |
| Polish | dogling północny | [details] |
| Russian | бутылконос высоколобыйbutylkonos | [details] |
| Slovenian | severni račji kit | [details] |
| Spanish | hocico de botellacalderón borealballena nariz de botella del norte | [details] |
| Swedish | näbbvalnabbad gomtand | [details] |
| Turkish | kuzey ördek balinası | [details] |
| Ukrainian | Пляшконіс північнийПляшконіс високочолийпівнічний пляшконісВисокочолий пляшконіс | [details] |
| Welsh | morfil trwyn potel | [details] |
Marine Life Information Network - UK (from synonym Hyperoodon (Hyperoodon) ampullatus (Forster, 1770))
To Barcode of Life (5 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication) (from synonym Lagocetus latifrons Gray, 1866)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (11 publications) (from synonym Delphinus (Chaenodelphinus) edentulus Wagner, 1846)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (11 publications) (from synonym Delphinus chemnitzianus Blainville in Demarest, 1817)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (116 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon rostratum Van Beneden, 1888)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (12 publications) (from synonym Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (13 publications) (from synonym Delphinus butskopf Bonnaterre, 1789)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (14 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon honfloriensis Lesson, 1828)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (145 publications) (from synonym Balaena rostrata Mueller, 1776)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (17 publications) (from synonym Hyperadon bidens J. A. Allen, 1869)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (2 publications) (from synonym Delphinus butskode Blainville in Demarest, 1817)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (20 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon borealis Nilsson, 1820)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (20 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon butskopf Lacépède, 1804)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (21 publications) (from synonym Delphinus hyperoodon Desmarest, 1822)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (29 publications) (from synonym Delphinus edentulus Schreber, 1802)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (3 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon butzkoff Beddard, 1900)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (301 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon rostratus Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (37 publications) (from synonym Delphinus bidentatus Bonnaterre, 1789)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (39 publications) (from synonym Delphinus bidens Shaw, 1801)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (42 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (43 publications) (from synonym Lagenocetus latifrons Gray, 1863)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (54 publications) (from synonym Delphinus diodon Lacépède, 1804)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (78 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon latifrons Gray, 1846)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (9 publications) (from synonym Delphinus hunteri Desmarest, 1822)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (96 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon bidens Fleming, 1828)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Hyperoodon ampullatus)
To GenBank (24379 nucleotides; 1817 proteins) (from synonym Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770)
To GenBank (24379 nucleotides; 1817 proteins)
To IUCN Red List (Near Threatened)
To NMNH Extant Collection (Forster in Kalm 1770 Travels into North America - p 18)
To PESI
To PESI (from synonym Hyperoodon (Hyperoodon) ampullatus (Forster, 1770))
To ITIS
To Barcode of Life (5 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication) (from synonym Lagocetus latifrons Gray, 1866)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (11 publications) (from synonym Delphinus (Chaenodelphinus) edentulus Wagner, 1846)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (11 publications) (from synonym Delphinus chemnitzianus Blainville in Demarest, 1817)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (116 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon rostratum Van Beneden, 1888)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (12 publications) (from synonym Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (13 publications) (from synonym Delphinus butskopf Bonnaterre, 1789)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (14 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon honfloriensis Lesson, 1828)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (145 publications) (from synonym Balaena rostrata Mueller, 1776)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (17 publications) (from synonym Hyperadon bidens J. A. Allen, 1869)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (2 publications) (from synonym Delphinus butskode Blainville in Demarest, 1817)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (20 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon borealis Nilsson, 1820)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (20 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon butskopf Lacépède, 1804)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (21 publications) (from synonym Delphinus hyperoodon Desmarest, 1822)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (29 publications) (from synonym Delphinus edentulus Schreber, 1802)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (3 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon butzkoff Beddard, 1900)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (301 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon rostratus Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (37 publications) (from synonym Delphinus bidentatus Bonnaterre, 1789)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (39 publications) (from synonym Delphinus bidens Shaw, 1801)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (42 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (43 publications) (from synonym Lagenocetus latifrons Gray, 1863)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (54 publications) (from synonym Delphinus diodon Lacépède, 1804)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (78 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon latifrons Gray, 1846)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (9 publications) (from synonym Delphinus hunteri Desmarest, 1822)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (96 publications) (from synonym Hyperoodon bidens Fleming, 1828)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Hyperoodon ampullatus)
To GenBank (24379 nucleotides; 1817 proteins) (from synonym Balaena ampullata Forster, 1770)
To GenBank (24379 nucleotides; 1817 proteins)
To IUCN Red List (Near Threatened)
To NMNH Extant Collection (Forster in Kalm 1770 Travels into North America - p 18)
To PESI
To PESI (from synonym Hyperoodon (Hyperoodon) ampullatus (Forster, 1770))
To ITIS
![To NMNH Extant Collection (Pennant 1776 British Zoology - v 3 cetacea plate v Beaked whale [Hyperoodon ampullatus])](http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/media/index.php?irn=10452413&width=320 "To NMNH Extant Collection (Pennant 1776 British Zoology - v 3 cetacea plate v Beaked whale [Hyperoodon ampullatus])")