CreatureData

Strap-toothed whale

Mesoplodon layardii (Gray, 1865)

LCLeast Concernwhales and dolphins

The strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii) is a species in the family Hyperoodontidae, order Cetacea. Recorded adults weigh about 1.5 t. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii)
Photo: TexaSim · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the strap-toothed whale

Weight
1.5 tsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Invertivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
320 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
1src for Young per litter or clutch
Active
Day and night (cathemeral)src for Active
Lifestyle
Marinesrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the strap-toothed whale live?

Not recorded

What is the strap-toothed whale?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii), also known as Layard's beaked whale, is one of the largest members of the Mesoplodon genus, growing to 6.2 m (20 ft) in length and reaching up to 1,300 kg (2,900 lb). It is named for its long, curved teeth, which in adult males grow out of the lower jaw and arch over the upper jaw, restricting the jaw from opening. The common and scientific names also honor Edgar Leopold Layard, the curator of the South African Museum, who prepared drawings of a skull and sent them to the British taxonomist John Edward Gray, who described the species in 1865.

This species is known for its unique coloration pattern, and inhabits deep subantarctic waters of the southern hemisphere. Strap-toothed whales rely on echolocation clicks, surface at step angles, and tend to travel in small groups. Their diet consists mainly of squid, and males and females hunt the same sized prey. Although not a target for whaling, threats like plastic ingestion, noise pollution, and climate change can be threatening to the species.

From the Wikipedia article “Strap-toothed whale” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Strap-toothed_whale&oldid=1382851360), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the strap-toothed whale endangered?

The strap-toothed whale is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the strap-toothed whale classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderCetacea
  5. familyHyperoodontidae
  6. genusMesoplodon
  7. SpeciesMesoplodon layardii (Gray, 1865)

Synonyms Dolichodon layardii, Mesoplodon floweri, Mesoplodon guentheri, Mesoplodon guntheri, Mesoplodon layardi, Mesoplodon longirostris, Mesoplodon thomsoni, Ziphius layardii

Other names and names in other languages (19)
  • Layard's beaked whaleEnglish
  • Layard's beaked whaleEnglish
  • Layard’s beaked whaleEnglish
  • Layard’s beaked whaleEnglish
  • Strap-toothed beaked whaleEnglish
  • Strap-toothed beaked whaleEnglish
  • Layard-snoetwalvisAfrikaans
  • Layard-SchnabelwalGerman
  • Layard-WalGerman
  • Layard-ZweizahnwalGerman
  • zifio de LayardSpanish
  • ballena de diente planoSpanish
  • Ballena de Pico de LayardSpanish
  • delfin picudo de LayardSpanish
  • mesoplodon de LayardFrench
  • baleine à bec de LayardFrench
  • Mésoplodon de LayardFrench
  • LayardspitssnuitdolfijnDutch
  • baleia bicuda de LayardPortuguese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the strap-toothed whale

Other species in the same genus Mesoplodon.

CompareStrap-toothed whale vs Sowerby's beaked whaleStrap-toothed whale vs Blainville's beaked whaleStrap-toothed whale vs Spade-toothed whaleStrap-toothed whale vs Gervais's beaked whale

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the strap-toothed whale?

An adult strap-toothed whale weighs 1.5 t, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the strap-toothed whale endangered?

The strap-toothed whale is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long is the strap-toothed whale pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 320 days.

What kind of animal is the strap-toothed whale?

The strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii) belongs to the family Hyperoodontidae in the order Cetacea.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/strap-toothed-whale

MLA

“Strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/strap-toothed-whale.

BibTeX
@misc{strap_toothed_whale_2026,
  title = {Strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/strap-toothed-whale},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}