WoRMS taxon details
Mesoplodon eueu Carroll, McGowen, McCarthy, Marx, Aguilar, Dalebout, Dreyer, Gaggiotti, Hansen, van Helden, Onoufriou, Baird, Baker, Berrow, Cholewiak, Claridge, Constantine, Davison, Eira, Fordyce, Gatesy, Hofmeyr, Martín, Mead, Mignucci-Giannoni, Morin, Reyes, Rogan, Rosso, Silva, Springer, Steel & Olsen, 2021
1567463 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1567463)
accepted
Species
marine, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
Carroll, E. L.; McGowen, M. R.; McCarthy, M. L.; Marx, F. G.; Aguilar, N.; Dalebout, M. L.; Dreyer, S.; Gaggiotti, O. E.; Hansen, S. S.; Van Helden, A.; Onoufriou, A. B.; Baird, R. W.; Baker, C. S.; Berrow, S.; Cholewiak, D.; Claridge, D.; Constantine, R.; Davison, N. J.; Eira, C.; Fordyce, R. E.; Gatesy, J.; Hofmeyr, G. J. G.; Martín, V.; Mead, J. G.; Mignucci-Giannoni, A. A.; Morin, P. A.; Reyes, C.; Rogan, E.; Rosso, M.; Silva, M. A.; Springer, M. S.; Steel, D.; Olsen, M. T. (2021). Speciation in the deep: genomics and morphology reveal a new species of beaked whale
Mesoplodon eueu. <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.</em> 288(1961)., available online at https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1213 [details] 
Holotype NMNZ MM003000
, Type locality contained in New Zealand
Holotype NMNZ MM003000 [details]
type locality contained in New Zealand [details]
Distribution M. eueu probably occurs throughout temperate SH waters, with reports from several locations. Genetic methods have confirmed...
Etymology The scientific and common names acknowledge links with Indigenous communities in South Africa and Aotearoa New Zealand,...
Distribution M. eueu probably occurs throughout temperate SH waters, with reports from several locations. Genetic methods have confirmed at least some of these records in South Africa, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand . [details]
Etymology The scientific and common names acknowledge links with Indigenous communities in South Africa and Aotearoa New Zealand,...
Etymology The scientific and common names acknowledge links with Indigenous communities in South Africa and Aotearoa New Zealand, respectively, and were chosen in consultation with these peoples. Most of the South African strandings come from territory inhabited by the Khoisan peoples. Guided by the Khoisan Council, we chose the name //eu//’eu (simplified to eueu to fit nomenclature standards; correct pronunciation available in associated audio clip a1 in the electronic supplementary material), which means ‘big fish’ in Khwedam (from the Khoe language family). In Aotearoa New Zealand, Ma¯ori cultural expert Brad Haami developed a shortlist of potential names meaningful in the Ma¯ori language,which was then sent for comment to Te Ru¯nanga o Nga¯ i Tahu. The selected common name, Ramari’s beaked whale, pays homage to Ma¯ori tohunga (expert) Ramari Stewart, who has kept traditional knowledge alive, contributed extensively to scientific research on marine mammals, and helped prepare the skeleton of the holotype. The word ‘Ramari’ means a rare event in the Ma¯ori language, reflecting the elusive nature of most beaked whales. [details]
Fordyce, E.; Perrin, W.F. (2025). World Cetacea Database. Mesoplodon eueu Carroll, McGowen, McCarthy, Marx, Aguilar, Dalebout, Dreyer, Gaggiotti, Hansen, van Helden, Onoufriou, Baird, Baker, Berrow, Cholewiak, Claridge, Constantine, Davison, Eira, Fordyce, Gatesy, Hofmeyr, Martín, Mead, Mignucci-Giannoni, Morin, Reyes, Rogan, Rosso, Silva, Springer, Steel & Olsen, 2021. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1567463 on 2025-04-30
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Nomenclature
original description
Carroll, E. L.; McGowen, M. R.; McCarthy, M. L.; Marx, F. G.; Aguilar, N.; Dalebout, M. L.; Dreyer, S.; Gaggiotti, O. E.; Hansen, S. S.; Van Helden, A.; Onoufriou, A. B.; Baird, R. W.; Baker, C. S.; Berrow, S.; Cholewiak, D.; Claridge, D.; Constantine, R.; Davison, N. J.; Eira, C.; Fordyce, R. E.; Gatesy, J.; Hofmeyr, G. J. G.; Martín, V.; Mead, J. G.; Mignucci-Giannoni, A. A.; Morin, P. A.; Reyes, C.; Rogan, E.; Rosso, M.; Silva, M. A.; Springer, M. S.; Steel, D.; Olsen, M. T. (2021). Speciation in the deep: genomics and morphology reveal a new species of beaked whale
Mesoplodon eueu. <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.</em> 288(1961)., available online at https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1213 [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]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Holotype NMNZ MM003000 [details]
From editor or global species database
Distribution M. eueu probably occurs throughout temperate SH waters, with reports from several locations. Genetic methods have confirmed at least some of these records in South Africa, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand . [details]Etymology The scientific and common names acknowledge links with Indigenous communities in South Africa and Aotearoa New Zealand, respectively, and were chosen in consultation with these peoples. Most of the South African strandings come from territory inhabited by the Khoisan peoples. Guided by the Khoisan Council, we chose the name //eu//’eu (simplified to eueu to fit nomenclature standards; correct pronunciation available in associated audio clip a1 in the electronic supplementary material), which means ‘big fish’ in Khwedam (from the Khoe language family). In Aotearoa New Zealand, Ma¯ori cultural expert Brad Haami developed a shortlist of potential names meaningful in the Ma¯ori language,which was then sent for comment to Te Ru¯nanga o Nga¯ i Tahu. The selected common name, Ramari’s beaked whale, pays homage to Ma¯ori tohunga (expert) Ramari Stewart, who has kept traditional knowledge alive, contributed extensively to scientific research on marine mammals, and helped prepare the skeleton of the holotype. The word ‘Ramari’ means a rare event in the Ma¯ori language, reflecting the elusive nature of most beaked whales. [details]
Morphology M. eueu is a larger (5.3 m) species of Mesoplodon differing from all other members of the genus except M. mirus, M. hectori and M. perrini in having tusks positioned at the tip of the mandible. It also differs from M. hectori and M. perrini in having smaller, less triangular tusks and from M. mirus in having a relatively shorter rostrum with a wider base, a shorter mandibular symphysis, wider premaxillary sac fossae and crests, and a taller cranium. [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| English | Ramari's beaked whale | [details] |
