Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps (de Blainville, 1838)

Anisakid parasite diversity in a pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps (Cetacea: Kogiidae) stranded at the edge of its distribution range in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

“…by preying on infected fish and squid, but these species rarely develop into adults [ 9 , 44 ], suggesting that these cetaceans may represent an accidental host for this parasite species complex. One possible explanation for the relatively high infection by A. simplex (s.s.) recorded in this pygmy sperm whale, is that the cetacean at the northern limit of its distribution range struggled to find its usual prey species, and opportunistically preyed on pelagic fish and squid species that commonly harbor high burdens of A. simplex (s.s.) in the area [ 20 , 37 , 43 , 45 , 51 ]. In fact, A. simplex (s.s.) has been reported at high infection rates in European flying squid ( Todarodes sagittatus ) off Scotland [ 8 ] and in blue whiting ( Micromesistius poutassou ) [ 27 , 47 ].…”

“…These relatively small, elusive, and poorly studied whales have a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and warm-temperate waters. The pygmy sperm whale primarily inhabits offshore waters beyond the edge of the continental shelf, feeding mainly on cephalopods while occasionally consuming fish and crustaceans at or near the bottom of the sea at a depth of 500–1000 m on the deep shelf or slope [ 21 , 37 , 38 , 43 , 45 , 51 ]. They are found continuously in the Eastern Atlantic, from Argentina to eastern Canada, including the Caribbean Sea, the eastern United States, and the Gulf of Mexico.…”