Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus 1758

• Main Authors: Russell A. Mittermeier, Don E. Wilson
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2014
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Cetacea; Balaenopteridae; Balaenoptera; Balaenoptera physalus; Norway; Razorback; Rorqual; Svalbard; Blue whale; Fin whale; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6596039; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6596039

7. Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus French: Rorqual commun / German: Finnwal / Spanish: Rorcual comun Other common names: Common Rorqual, Finback, Fin-backed Whale, Finner, Herring Whale, Razorback; Northern Fin Whale (physalus); Southern Fin Whale (quoyi) Taxonomy. Balaena physalus Linnaeus, 1758, “Habitat in Oceano Europao.” Restricted by Thomas in 1911 to “ Norway, near Svalbard, Spitsbergen Sea.” Genetic support for recognition of subspecies of B. physalus is weak at the moment, although preliminary studies of mitochondrial and nuclear markers suggest distinct differentiation among populations in different ocean basins. Morphological support for separate northern and southern subspecies primarily relies on size differences (larger in Southern Hemisphere), although it also appears that northern populations have shorter and broader flippers than southern populations. A possible third subspecies, patachonica, named by Burmeister in 1865, is included in the list of Marine Mammal Species and subspecies. However, this form is not currently recognized by IUCN. Two subspecies recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. B.p.physalusLinnaeus,1758—oceansoftheNorthernHemisphere. B. p. quoyi Fischer, 1829 — oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. Descriptive notes. Total length 2200-2700 cm; weight 60,000-90,000 kg. Adult female Fin Whales can be 5-10% longer than males. Total body length estimates are 2500 cm and 2700 cm for male and female “Southern Fin Whales” (B. b. quoyi) and 2200 cm and 2400 cm for male and female “Northern Fin Whales” (B. b. physalus). The Fin Whale is the most slender species of rorquals and is only exceeded in maximum body length by the Blue Whale (B. musculus). Color of adult Fin Whales is a uniform dark gray to brownish-black on back and sides, grading into white on belly. Undersides of pectoral flippers and caudal flukes are also white. Perhaps the most distinctive coloration feature of the Fin Whale is its asymmetric head coloration; left side of head including lower lip is uniformly dark gray like ...