. Annals of the South African Museum = Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. Natural history. FIRST MELON-HEADED WHALE FROM SOUTH AFRICA 37. Fig. 5. Dorsal fin of the Peponocephala electra that stranded at Hout Bay. Pilleri & Gihr (1973-4) was a mounted skin and hence the measurements may not be strictly comparable. At least some of the measurements given for specimen CI5 appear to be erroneous, particularly those concerning the position of the genital aperture and anus, which (although the animal was a male) are placed further posteriorly than in any of the females measured. The data for
. Annals of the South African Museum = Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. Natural history. FIRST MELON-HEADED WHALE FROM SOUTH AFRICA 37. Fig. 5. Dorsal fin of the Peponocephala electra that stranded at Hout Bay. Pilleri & Gihr (1973-4) was a mounted skin and hence the measurements may not be strictly comparable. At least some of the measurements given for specimen CI5 appear to be erroneous, particularly those concerning the position of the genital aperture and anus, which (although the animal was a male) are placed further posteriorly than in any of the females measured. The data for this animal have therefore been excluded from subsequent analyses. Although the remaining sample is small (six males, three females and one of unknown sex), a comparison between sexes of the proportional measurements indicates some apparent differences (apart from those concerned with the position of the anus and genital aperture). In males the anal girth appears larger (29,1-38,6% cf 26,1-28,8%), the flippers longer (17,5-20,4% cf 16,2-17,0%, or 13,0-15,8% cf 11,7-12,5%), the dorsal fin greater in height (8,4-10,9% cf 7,3-8,0%) and the tail flukes broader from the notch to their anterior margin (6,1-7,2% cf 5,1-5,5%) than in females. These apparent differences cannot all be accepted as evidence of sexual dimorphism until ontogenetic changes in body proportions of P. electra have been investigated: the present sample is too small for such an analysis, but it may be significant that only one of the three females was sexually mature, while four of the six males could be classified as mature (Bryden et al. 19776). Differences in the anal girth may reflect the more anterior position of the opening in males. Alternatively, they may be indicative of real. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original South Afri
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
