Confirmation of pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps from Palk Bay, India through Cytochrome Oxidase1 (COI) sequence

Abstract

The identity of a stranded cetacean from the Palk Bay has been confirmed as a pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) by the partial sequencing of mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit-I (COI). The specimen was unambiguously discriminated from the COI sequence of Kogia sima by matching exactly with the sequence of K. breviceps. Stranding events of the pygmy whales are considered to be uncommon. The sequence developed for K. breviceps is the first of its kind attempt from Indian waters.

Short Communication: Pregnant dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) stranding in Palk Bay, India: Insights and significance of stranding records

“…in Indian waters, details of which can be found here. The distribution of this species therefore remains little understood in the waters to the south and east of India (Molur et al, 1998;Kumaran, 2002;Jeyabaskaran and Vivekanandan, 2013;Aneesh et al, 2018, Chandrasekar et al, 2021, with even less information available from the western Indian Ocean (Kiszka et al, 2007(Kiszka et al, , 2010Bonato et al, 2016).…”