Marine Mammals Information Database :Illustrated Guide of Marine Mammals

Blue whale

Scientific Name : Balaenoptera musculus / Japanese Name : shironagasu-kujira

Details

Order Cetartiodactyla
Suborder Mysticeti
Family Balaenopteridae
Genus Balaenoptera
Species musculus
Subspecies -
Subtype -
CITES Appendix I IUCN RedData Status Endangered
Baleen plates or tooth-Upper jaw 270-400枚 Baleen plates or tooth-Lower jaw -
At birth At weaning Adult Adult male Adult female
Body length 23ft - 69-85.5ft - -
Body weight 3t - 90-125t - -
Feature and Habit
The head is broad and U-shaped when observed from above, and the median ridge is short. The dorsal fin is small (lower than 0.25m), and locates three-fourth of the body length from the tip of rostrum. The body is dark grayish blue and have galvanized pattern. The flippers are pointed and their undersides are white. The baleen plates (shorter than 0.9m) are dark black color, the guard hairs are hard and have 270 to 400 baleen plates per side. 55 to 88 throat pleats reach to the umbilicus at least. They are pelagic basically, but sometimes found in coastal and shallow waters. They make the excursion. They live single or in pods of 2 to 3 whales.
Description
Reference:
Stranding Record(s) in Japan
Map

Marine Mammals Skull Database

A click on the skull thumb nail will bring you to detailed images.


Sex - Reproductive Condition -
Body length - Locality -
Museum No. - Other No. -

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