Balaenoptera
Encyclopedia
Balaenoptera is a genus of Balaenopteridae, the Rorqual
whales, and contains eight species
. The species Balaenoptera omurai
was published in 2003. Balaenoptera is the most diverse genus of its family, the only other member being the Humpback Whale
, Megaptera novaeangliae.
Rorqual
Rorquals are the largest group of baleen whales, with nine species in two genera. They include the largest animal that has ever lived, the Blue Whale, which can reach , and another that easily reaches ; even the smallest of the group, the Northern Minke Whale, reaches .-Characteristics:Rorquals...
whales, and contains eight species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. The species Balaenoptera omurai
Balaenoptera omurai
Omura's whale is a species of rorqual about which very little is known.The scientific description of this whale was made in the November 20, 2003, edition of Nature by three Japanese scientists, Shiro Wada, Masayuki Oishi and Tadasu K. Yamada...
was published in 2003. Balaenoptera is the most diverse genus of its family, the only other member being the Humpback Whale
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
, Megaptera novaeangliae.
Taxonomy
- Genus Balaenoptera
- Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Common minke whaleCommon Minke WhaleThe common minke whale or northern minke whale, , is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales.-Taxonomy:...
- Balaenoptera bonaerensis, Antarctic minke whaleAntarctic Minke WhaleThe Antarctic minke whale or southern minke whale , is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales.-Taxonomy:...
- Balaenoptera borealis, Sei whaleSei WhaleThe sei whale , Balaenoptera borealis, is a baleen whale, the third-largest rorqual after the blue whale and the fin whale. It inhabits most oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers deep offshore waters. It avoids polar and tropical waters and semi-enclosed bodies of water...
- Balaenoptera brydeiBalaenoptera brydeiBalaenoptera brydei is a species of cetacean, marine mammals, in a complex group known as the Bryde’s Whales. They are the least-known and in many ways the most unusual of the rorquals...
, Bryde's whaleBryde's WhaleBryde's whales are baleen whales, one of the "great whales" or rorquals. They prefer tropical and temperate waters over the polar seas that other whales in their family frequent. They are largely coastal rather than pelagic. Bryde's whales are very similar in appearance to sei whales and almost as... - Balaenoptera edeni, Eden's whale
- Balaenoptera musculus, Blue whaleBlue WhaleThe blue whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales . At in length and or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed....
- Balaenoptera omuraiBalaenoptera omuraiOmura's whale is a species of rorqual about which very little is known.The scientific description of this whale was made in the November 20, 2003, edition of Nature by three Japanese scientists, Shiro Wada, Masayuki Oishi and Tadasu K. Yamada...
, Omura's whale - Balaenoptera physalus, Fin whaleFin WhaleThe fin whale , also called the finback whale, razorback, or common rorqual, is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. It is the second longest whale and the sixth largest living animal after the blue whale, bowhead whale, and right whales, growing to nearly 27 metres long...
- Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Common minke whale