True's beaked whale is a medium-sized whale in the genus Mesoplodon. It is native to the northern Atlantic Ocean. The common name is in reference to Frederick W. True, a curator at the United States National Museum.
True's beaked whale
Skeleton of a True's beaked whale at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Mesoplodont whales are 16 species of toothed whale in the genus Mesoplodon, making it the largest genus in the cetacean order. Two species were described as recently as 1991 and 2002, and marine biologists predict the discovery of more species in the future. A new species was described in 2021. They are the most poorly known group of large mammals. The generic name "mesoplodon" comes from the Greek meso- (middle) - hopla (arms) - odon (teeth), and may be translated as 'armed with a tooth in the centre of the jaw'.
Mesoplodon
Round scars from cookiecutter shark bites can be seen on the flank of this stranded Gray's beaked whale.
Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens; a male, with conspicuous teeth in the lower jaw
A stranded newborn Andrews' Beaked Whale, M. bowdoini