MOLECULAR-GENETIC IDENTIFICATION OF SOUTHERN-HEMISPHERE BEAKED-WHALES(CETACEA, ZIPHIIDAE)

To assist in the species-level identification of stranded and hunted b eaked whales, we compiled a database of 'reference' sequences from the mitochondrial DNA control region for 15 of the 20 described ziphiid s pecies. Reference samples for eight species were obtained from strande d animals in New Zealand and South Australia. Sequences for a further seven species were obtained from a previously published report. This d atabase was used to identify 20 'test' samples obtained from incomplet ely documented strandings around New Zealand. Analyses showed that fou r of these 'test' specimens (20%) had initially been misidentified. Th ese included two animals of particular interest: (i) a Blainville's be aked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), the first record of this species in New Zealand waters; and, (ii) a juvenile Andrews' beaked whale (Me soplodon bowdoini), a species known from just over 20 strandings world wide. A published sequence from a beaked whale product purchased in th e Republic of Korea was identified as a Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris). Levels of intra- and interspecific variation were compa red to determine the potential for misidentification when the database or taxonomy is incomplete. Intraspecific variation was generally <2%, and interspecific divergence was generally >4.7%. Exceptions were wit hin-species variation in Hyperoodon planifrons, southern bottlenosed w hale (4.12%), which exceeded the variation between the two species of Berardius (3.78%), and variation between the two specimens assigned to M. hectori, Hector's beaked whale (7.14%). The latter case appears to be an error in species identification, and could represent the discov ery of a new species of beaked whale.