Gray's beaked whale
A species of beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi) found in Southern Hemisphere waters. The name is a taxonomic compound: 南 (south) + 扇歯 (ougi-ha, 'fan-shaped teeth') + 鯨 (kujira, 'whale').
Gray's beaked whale inhabits temperate to subantarctic waters of the Southern Hemisphere.
Refers to the genus Mesoplodon (beaked whales) in general, or specifically to other species within the genus, while ミナミオウギハクジラ is the specific species Mesoplodon grayi.
Standard katakana spelling for this species name.
Kanji spelling is rare and mostly seen in taxonomic or specialized contexts; the word is usually written in kana.
Compound of 南 (minami, 'south') + 扇歯 (ougi-ha, 'fan-shaped teeth', referring to the tooth shape characteristic of the genus) + 鯨 (kujira, 'whale'). The name reflects the species' Southern Hemisphere distribution and its dental morphology.