Strap-toothed whale

Also known as the Layard's beaked whale (Mesoplodon layardii), these beaked whales might be the most bizarre of all. Conform the usual sexual dimorphism in this family females lack teeth, but males grow these huge, long tusks. They keep growing with age and eventually in old males the teeth clamp around the upper jaw completely. The old males can still open their mouth, but not as wide as they used to, and indeed - stomach contents of stranded individuals showed these old guys only eat small squid.

The original photo of the skull is from this site: vertebrates.si.edu/mammals/bea…

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