(ofBalaena physalus Linnaeus, 1758)Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online athttps://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 page(s): 75 [details] Available for editors [request]
Note "Oceano Europaeo," specifically the...
From editor or global species database
Type locality "Oceano Europaeo," specifically the Spitzbergen Sea [details]
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details]
Fordyce, E.; Perrin, W.F. (2025). World Cetacea Database. Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137091 on 2025-07-15
original description(ofBalaena boops Linnaeus, 1758)Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online athttps://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886[details] Available for editors [request]
original description(ofBalaena physalus Linnaeus, 1758)Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online athttps://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 page(s): 75 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of recordvan der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Ecology
ecology sourceLooby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. <em>Scientific Data.</em> 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online athttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4[details]
Other
context source (PeRMS)Reyes, J. (2009). Ballenas, delfines y otros cetáceos del Perú. Una fuente de información. <em>Lima- Perú. Squema-Ediciones.</em> 160 pp.[details]
additional sourceCarwardine, M., E. Hoyt, R. E. Fordyce and P. Gill. 1998. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. Time-Life Books. Nature Company Guides, USA. 288 p.[details]
additional sourceThomas, M. L. H. (1983). Marine and coastal systems of the Quoddy Region, New Brunswick. <em>Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.</em> 64:1-306.[details] Available for editors [request]
additional sourceMuller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. <em>Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France.</em> 307 pp., available online athttp://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf[details]
additional sourceMead, J. G.; Brownell, R. L. Jr. (2005). Cetacea. <em>In Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.</em> 723--743., available online athttp://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/[details]
additional sourceHershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of Living Whales. <em>Bulletin of the United States National Museum.</em> (246): 1-259., available online athttps://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.246[details]
additional sourceJefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam.[details]
additional sourcePerrin, W.F.; Würsig, B.; Thewissen, J.G.M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Second edition. Academic Press: London. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9. xxix, 1316 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional sourceSchmidly, D. J. and B. Würsig. 2009. Mammals (Vertebrata: Mammalia) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1343–1352 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.[details]
additional sourceLiu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
additional sourceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online athttp://www.itis.gov[details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Holotype None; based primarily on the "finfish" of Martens (1675) [details] IUCN Red List Category Endangered (EN) [details] Morphology Distinguishing characteristics: white lower jaw on right, gray on left. Blow readily visible-10 m(33') tall, straight column. Curved dorsal fin closer to tail. light grey with white belly, occasional blotches of orange/yellow, blaze or chevron extending from eye across back. Fin and blue whales have the deepest, loudest voices in the ocean, letting them communicate over great distances. Second largest living animal after the blue whale. [details] Predators Killer whale (Orcinus orca) [details] Reproduction Calving: December to April in Northern Hemisphere, austral winter in Southern Hemisphere, in unknown localities; Weaning: 1 year [details] Type locality "Oceano Europaeo," specifically the Spitzbergen Sea [details]
Unreviewed
Diet schooling fish, euphasiids and other invetebrates, copepods (when young), squid [details] Dimensions Length: male 58-82' (17.7-25 m), female 60-88 1/2' (18.3-27 m), at birth 19 1/2' + (5.9 m+) [details] Distribution in all oceans [details] Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details] Habitat mostly offshore but also near the coast [details] Importance In the North-West Atlantic region, it is the dominant large cetacean species in all seasons, with the largest standing stock, the largest food requirements, and therefore the largest impact on the ecosystem of any cetacean species. [details]