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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11A male spade-toothed whale (*Mesoplodon traversii*) stranded at Taiari Mouth in Otago, New Zealand, in July 2024. Its dissection revealed nine stomach chambers, along with squid remains, tiny vestigial teeth and other anatomical details. The finding comes from one unusually complete specimen—not a survey of the species—and scientists did not establish what caused the whale’s death.
What whale was found to have nine stomach chambers?
The whale was a male spade-toothed whale, *Mesoplodon traversii*. The Department of Conservation (DOC) reported that the animal was five metres long and stranded at Taiari Mouth in Otago in July 2024. It was the first complete specimen of the species recovered in good condition for examination, according to DOC’s 13 December 2024 release.
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Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou named the whale Ōnumia, after the traditional name of the area where it stranded. Its condition gave scientists an opportunity to examine anatomy that had been difficult to study in this exceptionally rare species.
What did the dissection find inside the whale?
Nine stomach chambers and squid remains
The weeklong examination found nine stomach chambers. Some contained squid beaks and squid eye lenses; researchers also found a few parasitic worms and other remains that had not yet been identified in some chambers. A parasitologist was to investigate those materials, DOC said. The chamber count is an observation from Ōnumia alone, not evidence that every spade-toothed whale has been examined and found to have the same anatomy.
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Tiny teeth and structures for feeding and sound
Researchers found tiny vestigial teeth embedded in the upper jaw. DOC whale expert Anton van Helden said the teeth could offer information about evolutionary history, but the release did not establish their function or developmental history. The team also described structures associated with feeding and sound production.
Scientists recorded weights and measurements of muscles and organs to help describe the whale and compare it with related species. Those measurements add anatomical information; they do not, by themselves, establish how the species behaves or feeds in the wild.
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Who led the examination?
Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou led the dissection in partnership with DOC, with support from Tūhura Otago Museum and Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago. Van Helden, DOC Marine Science Advisor and a beaked-whale expert, led the scientific examination.
The release describes the process as led by rakatahi (young people), with Ngāti Wai experts Hori Parata and Te Kaurinui guiding them. Rūnanga member Rachel Wesley described the work as bringing Indigenous and Western knowledge systems together to deepen understanding of the whale and its behaviours. The name Ōnumia and this collaborative approach were part of the examination’s cultural context, not simply details of the animal’s anatomy.
Do scientists know why Ōnumia died?
No cause of death was established in the DOC release. The whale had bruising to the head and neck and a broken jaw. Van Helden said researchers suspected some kind of head trauma but did not know what caused it. The reported injuries do not establish a vessel strike, human activity or any other specific cause.
DOC said scientists would analyze the recorded data and publish findings under Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou’s direction. The release was accurate as of 13 December 2024; it does not confirm whether that later publication has appeared.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why is this specimen important?
Spade-toothed whales are exceptionally rare, and Ōnumia was notable because it was a complete individual recovered in good condition for examination. A secondary article by Interesting Engineering, published 17 December 2024, described six confirmed specimens and said the species had never been seen alive. Those are claims made in that dated article, not an updated census or a status statement established by DOC’s release.
The dissection’s clearest contribution is direct anatomical evidence from a rare whale: nine stomach chambers, stomach contents, vestigial teeth and recorded measurements. Further analysis may provide additional information, but the findings reported so far should be understood as observations from one animal.
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