Balaenoptera physalus

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

The Fin Whale is found throughout every ocean in the world, from the tropics to the polar regions, but is rarely seen inshore . They migrate to polar waters in summer for feeding and return to warmer seas in winter for breeding.

Endangered

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Balaenopteridae

This family contains the larges animals ever to live; all balaenopteroids have adult body lengths of over 7 m , but some are much larger. The rorquals are streamlined animals (the humpback whale somewhat less than the others), with a series of long pleats extending from the snout tip to as far back as the navel on the ventral surface. Balaenopterids are fast and active lunge feeders ; their morphology allows them to open their jaws very widely and distend their throats to take in huge mouthfuls of water during feeding. The baleen plates are of moderate length and fringe fineness. Density and fringe diameter vary among species, and along with plate number and width to length ratio, are diagnostic characters. Rorquals have dorsal fins (varying in size and shape ) set beyond the midpoint of the back. The upper jaw has a relatively flat profile , a feature reflecting the structure of the skull. Within a given feature, differences among balaenopterids are often subtle variations on a theme, rather than class distinctions. Therefore, information on many features may be needed to distringuiish among them and reliance on a single character for identification is discouraged.

Physical Description

Habitat

Ecology: List of Habitats : 10.1 Marine Oceanic - Epipelagic (0-200m)

Biology

Diet

The Fin Whale specialises in 'gulping' euphausiids (tiny plankton ), different species of which are preferred in different geographical locations. Some fish, such as herring and capelin, as well as squid, are also taken as food.

Behavior

Fin Whales are more gregarious in manner than other rorquals , and are usually found either in pairs (as in mother and calf ) or in groups of 6-10 animals. Although individuals are also common, congregations of approximately 100 can be found on the feeding grounds . The Fin Whale dives to a maximum of about 300m and communicates via moans, pulses, clicks, and grunts , as well as breaching .

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Balaena Physalis

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 08-Jun-2002.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Balaenoptera

There are approximately 49 species in this genus:

B. acurorostrata · B. acuto-rostrata · B. acutorostrara · B. acutorostrata (Sharp-Headed Finner Whale) · B. acutorostrata acutorostrata (Sharp-Headed Finner Whale) · B. acutorostrata bonaerensis · B. acutorostrata davidsoni · B. acutorostrata scammoni (Northern Minke Whale) · B. acutorostrata thalmaha · B. acuturostrata · B. bonaerensis (Antarctic Minke Whale) · B. borealina · B. borealis (Rudolph’s Rorqual) · B. borealis borealis (Rudolph’s Rorqual) · B. borealis schlegellii (Sei Whale) · B. brydei (Bryde's Whale) · B. caerulescens · B. cortesii · B. davidsonii · B. edeni (Common Bryde's Whale) · B. emarginata · B. floridana · B. gastaldii · B. huttoni · B. maculata · B. musculoides · B. musculus (Great Northern Rorqual) · B. musculus brevicauda (Pygmy Blue Whale) · B. musculus indica · B. musculus intermedia (Antarctic Blue Whale) · B. musculus musculus (Great Northern Rorqual) · B. mysticetus · B. nigra · B. omurai · B. patachonicus · B. physalis · B. physalus (Common Finback Whale) · B. physalus physalus (Common Finback Whale) · B. physalus quoyi · B. punctulata · B. robusta · B. rostratella · B. ryani · B. sibbaldi · B. sibbaldii · B. sibbaldina · B. siberi · B. similis · B. taiwanica

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Cetacean Specialist Group 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 17, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 28 providers.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 17, 2007:

• Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Seabirds of the Southern and South Indian Ocean
• EMAN Provider, PIROP
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Bay of Fundy Species List
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, SEAMAP - marine mammals, birds and turtles
• Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, Mammal specimens
• Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Paleobiology Database
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• OZCAM
• Provider, Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums
• Royal Ontario Museum, Mammal specimens
• UNIBIO, IBUNAM, CNMA/Coleccion Nacional de Mamiferos
• University of Alaska Museum of the North, University of Alaska Museum Mammal Collection
• University of Washington Burke Museum, Mammal Specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2478608
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-612629
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13808346
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 180527
• IUCN ID: 2478
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: AMAGH01010
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Identifier: A02O
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 178527

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