Species › Mammals › Narwhal

Narwhal

Monodon monoceros

RareMammal
Illustration of Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)

The Narwhal is the 'unicorn of the sea,' with males bearing a spiraling ivory tusk that is actually an elongated left upper canine tooth that can exceed 10 feet in length. The tusk is a sensory organ with millions of nerve endings and may be used to detect changes in water temperature, pressure, and salinity. Narwhals spend their entire lives in dense Arctic pack ice, one of the most extreme habitats of any cetacean.

Habitat
Dense Arctic sea ice and associated open leads
Diet
Arctic cod, Greenland halibut, squid, and shrimp
How common
Rare

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