Micropterus

The communication habits of M. grayi are unknown, but those of other whales have been well studied. Whales are famous for their combination of songs, squeals, grunts, clicks, and clacks. Because water serves as a much better transmission medium for sound than air, evolution has clearly centered on vocal communication rather than any other form. The timing of whale communications, along with their content, may signal position, identity, threats, or food to other members of a pod or to other pods.

The most common beaked whales, Blainville's Beaked whales, have been observed to use particular patterns of clicks when herding schools of prey, possibly to confuse them. It has been proposed that M. grayi uses similar methods, but further information is unavailable.

Some tactile communication most likely occurs between mates, as well as between mothers and their offspring. If the tusks of these animals are used in physical competition, as scarring patterns on the head indicate, this is another form of tactile communication which should be noted.

Females may signal their sexual readiness with chemical cues.

Communication Channels: tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: choruses

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

There is no information on the lifespan of M. grayi and there have been no reports of attempts to keep any animals in captivity.

Unfortunately, there is little information on the mating system of M. grayi. However, it is very likely that M. grayi follows similar patterns to other toothed whales (Odontoceti). M. grayi, like other toothed whales, does not show as distinct a seasonality in mating and birth as do the baleen whales; this is primarily due to the relatively warmer waters the toothed whales inhabit. Toothed whales live in small groups with very large ranges of thousands of square miles. It may be difficult for individuals to meet others of the opposite sex, so when they do, it is essential that the right signals are conveyed. Toothed whales are very social, and when pods meet there are physical changes in the female’s body to indicate to potential mates that she is ready. Though these exact signals are unknown, it is likely that a combination of both behavioral dance-like movements and hormones discharged through feces or urine serve as cues.

The courtship and mating rituals usually involve belly contact between the male and female. The pair may be interlocked vertically, or the male may swim upside-down underneath the female. There is also much play in the form of chases, breaching of the surface, and flipper contact. All these behavioral cues convey the readiness to mate.

Detailed information on the reproductive behavior of M. grayi is unavailable. The mother most likely give birth to a single calf. Gray’s beaked whales, like many whales, are most often seen in pods and highly social behavior has been observed. Often in these groups, females that don't have offspring of their own assist other females in the pod raise their calves. A calf likely remains by its mother’s side until it reaches maturity.

Although toothed whales occupying warm oceanic waters can breed throught the year, most breeding in the southern hemisphere is probably between October and December, and the young are born between February and March. Breeding grounds for similar species are often in shallower waters that are sheltered by bays or inlets. Seasonal movements from winter mating grounds to summer feeding grounds are common for other species but not confirmed for M. grayi.

Breeding interval: Unknown; Probably one calf per year.

Breeding season: Unknown; Probably between October and December

Average number of offspring: 1.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous

All cetacean species follow a similar pattern for parental investment. The mother nurses the young; she and the pod family teach newborn calves how to socialize, how to avoid preadators, and how to hunt. Specific information on M. grayi is unavailable.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; precocial ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female); extended period of juvenile learning

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:44
Specimens with Sequences:38
Specimens with Barcodes:38
Species:8
Species With Barcodes:7
Public Records:38
Public Species:7
Public BINs:8