Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters
Reproductive organs, mandibular teeth, stomach contents and body measurements including total mass from white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) taken by Inuit hunters in West Greenland during 1985-1992 were analysed. Both sexes of white whales from West Greenland attain a greater length at physical mat...
Main Authors: | , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Danish Polar Center/Museum Tusculanum Press
1994
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550 |
id |
ftkbcopenhojs:oai:ojs.tidsskrift.dk:article/142550 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftkbcopenhojs:oai:ojs.tidsskrift.dk:article/142550 2024-01-28T10:05:22+01:00 Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P. Teilmann, Jonas 1994-04-22 application/pdf https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550 eng eng Danish Polar Center/Museum Tusculanum Press https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550/186223 https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550 Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; Vol. 39 (1994): Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; 195-212 Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; Årg. 39 (1994): Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; 195-212 0106-1054 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 1994 ftkbcopenhojs 2024-01-03T23:58:33Z Reproductive organs, mandibular teeth, stomach contents and body measurements including total mass from white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) taken by Inuit hunters in West Greenland during 1985-1992 were analysed. Both sexes of white whales from West Greenland attain a greater length at physical maturity than do white whales from Alaska, Hudson Bay, northern Quebec, the White Sea and the Kara Sea. Male white whales attain sexual maturity at 6-7 years. Size of testes and presence of spermatozoa suggest that mating takes place in May or perhaps later. Female white whales apparently become sexually mature at 4 to 7 years of age, but the negative bias of age estimates from whales whose teeth lack the neonatal line confounded our effort to estimate the age at sexual maturity. Gestation lasts at least 330 days, with implantation in May- June, and calves are likely to be born in April-May. Article in Journal/Newspaper Delphinapterus leucas Greenland Hudson Bay inuit Kara Sea White Sea Alaska Tidsskrift.dk (The Royal Library, Denmark) Greenland Hudson Hudson Bay Kara Sea White Sea |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Tidsskrift.dk (The Royal Library, Denmark) |
op_collection_id |
ftkbcopenhojs |
language |
English |
description |
Reproductive organs, mandibular teeth, stomach contents and body measurements including total mass from white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) taken by Inuit hunters in West Greenland during 1985-1992 were analysed. Both sexes of white whales from West Greenland attain a greater length at physical maturity than do white whales from Alaska, Hudson Bay, northern Quebec, the White Sea and the Kara Sea. Male white whales attain sexual maturity at 6-7 years. Size of testes and presence of spermatozoa suggest that mating takes place in May or perhaps later. Female white whales apparently become sexually mature at 4 to 7 years of age, but the negative bias of age estimates from whales whose teeth lack the neonatal line confounded our effort to estimate the age at sexual maturity. Gestation lasts at least 330 days, with implantation in May- June, and calves are likely to be born in April-May. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P. Teilmann, Jonas |
spellingShingle |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P. Teilmann, Jonas Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters |
author_facet |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P. Teilmann, Jonas |
author_sort |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads P. |
title |
Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters |
title_short |
Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters |
title_full |
Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters |
title_fullStr |
Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland waters |
title_sort |
growth, reproduction, age structure and feeding habits of white whales (delphinapterus leucas) in west greenland waters |
publisher |
Danish Polar Center/Museum Tusculanum Press |
publishDate |
1994 |
url |
https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550 |
geographic |
Greenland Hudson Hudson Bay Kara Sea White Sea |
geographic_facet |
Greenland Hudson Hudson Bay Kara Sea White Sea |
genre |
Delphinapterus leucas Greenland Hudson Bay inuit Kara Sea White Sea Alaska |
genre_facet |
Delphinapterus leucas Greenland Hudson Bay inuit Kara Sea White Sea Alaska |
op_source |
Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; Vol. 39 (1994): Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; 195-212 Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; Årg. 39 (1994): Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience; 195-212 0106-1054 |
op_relation |
https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550/186223 https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142550 |
_version_ |
1789331635672449024 |