During the 1995-1996 season there were frequent strandings of the genus
Mesoplodon to the coasts of the Sea of Japan. Number of reported strandings were 14 and it is the largest number since 1988-1989 season. Three specific cases among them with peculiar findings were described.
Case 1.
Mesoplodon sp. dead stranding; female; BL ca. 5m; found on Apr. 13. 1996, in Ogi-machi, Sado-gun
Niigata-ken (Sado island). This animal had several bite-like arcuate scars. It is possible that these were caused by sharks such as great white shark. There was no evidence as to when the bites were made, whether before or
after the death of the animal.
Case 2.
Mesoplodon stejnegeri, dead stranding; male; BL 517cm; found on Apr. 10. 1996; in Nou-machi,
Nishikubiki-gun, Niigata-ken. A spear-like wooden pole was found penetrated almost completely across the body. From the left side of the animal, piercing the skin, blubber, thorax between ribs, diaphragm, through coiled intestine and certain portions of intestine and finally stoppe with its tip in the blubber of the opposite side.
Case 3.
Mesoplodon stejnegeri, dead stranding (could have been alive when found); female (pregnant); BL 513cm; found on Apr. 25. 1996, in Ogata-machi, Higashikubiki-gun, Niigata-ken. There was a foetus in the uterus of stranded mother. The foetus was extremely light in weight and much smaller for the season compared to the
several other foetuses examined before. Part of the body wall was melted. It is possible that the foetus was dead
well before the stranding event of the mother.
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