Narwhal

Narwhal Temporal range: Quaternary–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ [1][2]
Size compared to an average human
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[3]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[4]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Monodontidae
Genus:	Monodon Linnaeus, 1758
Species:	M. monoceros
Binomial name
Monodon monoceros Linnaeus, 1758
Distribution of narwhal populations

The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), is a species of toothed whale, and the only member of the genus Monodon. Its closest living relative is the beluga whale, and cases of interbreeding between the two species have been recorded. It is sexually dimorphic, as adult males are larger than females and have a long single tusk that can be up to 3 m (9.8 ft). The narwhal has a mottled pigmentation, with blackish-brown markings over a white background. Instead of a dorsal fin, the narwhal possesses a shallow dorsal ridge which is thought to facilitate movement under the ice, or reduce surface area, and heat loss. An adult narwhal is typically 3.0 to 5.5 m (9.8 to 18.0 ft) in length and 800 to 1,600 kg (1,800 to 3,500 lb) in weight. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described the species in his 1758 work Systema Naturae.

The narwhal inhabits Arctic waters, and is vulnerable to predatory attacks from polar bears, orcas and humans. Narwhals in the Baffin Bay typically travel further north, between June and September. After this period, they move to the Davis Strait, a journey that spans around 1,700 km (1,100 mi), and stay there until April. Its prey mostly consists of Arctogadus glacialis, Boreogadus saida, Greenland halibut, cuttlefish, shrimp, and armhook squid. The narwhal is one of the deepest-diving marine mammals, with many individuals reaching depths of over 1,500 m (5,000 ft). Narwhals mate in the offshore pack ice in April or May, and have a gestation lasting an average of 15 months. Like most other cetaceans, the narwhal uses clicks, whistles and knocks to communicate with others of its kind.

There are an estimated 170,000 living narwhals, and the species is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population is threatened by the effects of climate change, such as the reduction in ice cover, and human activities such as pollution and hunting. The narwhal has been hunted for hundreds of years by Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and regulated subsistence hunts continue.