Whales and Dolphins of the Southern African Subregion

This book is the first stand-alone and definitive account of the cetaceans of the oceanic region from the equator to Antarctica, and between the longitudes of 20° W and 80° E - a region that includes almost two-thirds of the world's marine cetacean species. In the fascinating accounts of 51 species of whales and dolphins (and one porpoise), information for this region is comprehensively summarised, allowing Peter Best to give us the benefit of his extensive knowledge and of the wealth of unpublished information he has accumulated during his 40 years of studying these creatures. Approximately 100 illustrations have been created in colour for this book by world-renowned marine mammal illustrator Pieter Folkens. Colour photographs of the living animal portray the 'jizz' of each species and specific coloration or behavioural features.

Contributors; Foreword; The Mammal Research Institute; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Map of the subregion; The cetacean environment off southern Africa Isabelle Ansorge and Johann Lutjeharms; The South African species gate William Perrin; A classification of living cetacea; Keys to the whales, dolphins and porpoise of the region; Anatomy of cetacean skulls; Species accounts; BALAENIDAE: Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis; NEOBALAENIDAE: Pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata; BALAENOPTERIDAE: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae; Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis; Dwarf minke whale, B. acutorostrata subsp.; Bryde's whale, B. brydei; Sei whale, B. borealis; Fin whale, B. physalus; Blue whale, B. musculus; PHYSETERIDAE: Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus; KOGIIDAE: Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps; Dwarf sperm whale, K. sima; ZIPHIIDAE: Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris; Arnoux's beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii; Shepherd's beaked whale, Tasmacetus shepherdi; Longman's beaked whale, Indopacetus pacificus; Southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons; Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori; True's beaked whale, M. mirus; Gervais' beaked whale, M. europaeus; Gray's beaked whale, M. grayi; Andrews' beaked whale, M. bowdoini; Layard's beaked whale, M. layardii; Blainville's beaked whale, M. densirostris; Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, M. ginkgodens; DELPHINIDAE: Heaviside's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii; Commerson's dolphin, C. commersonii; Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis; Atlantic humpback dolphin, Sousa teuszi; Indian humpback dolphin, S. chinensis; Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncates; Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin, T. aduncus; Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuate; Atlantic spotted dolphin, S. frontalis; Spinner dolphin, S. longirostris; Clymene dolphin, S. clymene; Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba; Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis; Long-beaked common dolphin, D. capensis; Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei; Dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus; Hourglass dolphin, L. cruciger; Southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii; Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus; Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra; Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuate; False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens; Killer whale, Orcinus orca; Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas; Short-finned pilot whale, G. macrorhynchus; PHOCOENIDAE: Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica; Bibliography; Glossary; Photographic acknowledgements; Index; List of subscribers.

Peter Best's extensive knowledge and wealth of unpublished information, accumulated over 40 years of study, has resulted in this first stand-alone, definitive account of the marine cetaceans from the equator to Antarctica, covering almost two-thirds of marine cetacean species. Includes 100 colour photographs by world-renowned marine mammal illustrator, Pieter Folkens.