Bryde's whale
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Bryde's whale ( Balaenoptera edeni ) |
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| Balaenoptera edeni | ||||||||||||
| Anderson , 1879 |
The Bryde's whale [ ˈbryː.dəˌvaːl ] ( Balaenoptera edeni ; synonym : Balaenoptera brydei ) is a species of whale from the family of furrow whales (Balaenopteridae). The species was named after the Norwegian whaler and ship owner Johan Bryde (1858–1925) and is therefore pronounced “ brüde ” (and not “braid”). The status of the eden whale , which is also often viewed as a separate species, is unclear . Based on genetic studies, it was described as a separate species in 1993, but according to the current status it is not viewed independently.
distribution
The Bryde's whale is found in almost all oceans. In contrast to the other furrow whales, the Bryde's whale inhabits temperate and tropical waters between the 40 ° north and 40 ° south latitude all year round ; migrations into polar areas are not observed.
features
With a length of 12 to 14 meters and a weight of 16 to 25 tons, the Bryde's whale is one of the smaller furrow whales. It has an elongated, dark gray body that is only a little lighter in color on the throat and stomach. Characteristic for this species are three ridges on the top of the head. The sei whale , which looks very similar to the Bryde's whale, has only one spar in the middle of the head. As with all furrow whales, the crescent-shaped fin sits far back on the body, the fluke is clearly notched.
Way of life
Bryde's whales live in pairs or small groups in waters with a water temperature of over 20 ° C. In contrast to other furrow whales, they are more of a territorial species, their migratory movements are rather short and depend on the availability of food. The diet of these animals consists almost exclusively of schooling fish such as sardines and mackerel , as well as crustaceans and cephalopods .
threat
Bryde's whales were only systematically hunted in the northern Pacific , especially in the 1960s, otherwise they never came into the sights of the whalers . As a result, the species is considered common and not threatened. Estimates of the total population range from 40,000 to 80,000 specimens.
Taxonomy
The species was described by Ørjan Olsen as a Bryde's whale ( Balaenoptera brydei ) after a catch by whalers in Saldanha Bay off the South African coast in 1913 , and in the 1950s it was added to a species described by John Anderson as Balaenoptera edeni in 1879 . This evidence came from the Thaybbyoo Choung, a river that flows into the Gulf of Martaban between the Sittaung and the Beeling in what is now Myanmar (formerly Burma), into which the whale had swum. Since in these cases the older name is preferred as "senior synonym", B. edeni is the correct scientific name.
In 1993 and later, the eden whale was presented several times as a separate species, with both morphological features of the skull and molecular biological analyzes indicating this. According to the current status, the status of the eden whale is still unclear and it has been added to the Bryde's whale. Currently, the species is also considered to be monotypical, and accordingly no subspecies are distinguished.
In 2003, were Omurawale ( Balaenoptera omurai ) that had been held until then for small specimens of Bryde's whales, described as a separate type.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d T.A. Deméré: Family Balaenopteridae (Rorquals); Bryde's Whale Balaenoptera edeni In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier: Handbook of the Mammals of the World. 4. Sea Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2014; Pp. 289-290. ISBN 978-84-96553-93-4 .
- ↑ a b Shiro Wada, Masayuki Oishi, Tadasu K. Yamada: A newly discovered species of living baleen whale . In: Nature . tape 426 , 2003, p. 278–281 , doi : 10.1038 / nature02103 (English).
literature
- TA Deméré: Family Balaenoptera (Rorquals); Bryde's Whale Balaenoptera edeni In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier: Handbook of the Mammals of the World. 4. Sea Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2014; Pp. 289-290. ISBN 978-84-96553-93-4 .
- M. Carwardine: whales and dolphins . Delius Klasing, 1996
- J. Niethammer, F. Krapp (ed.): Handbook of mammals in Europe. Volume 6: marine mammals, Tel 1A: whales and dolphins 1 . AULA-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1994 (very detailed textbook)
- RR Reeves, BS Stewart, PJ Clapham, JA Powell: Sea Mammals of the World - a Complete Guide to Whales, Dolphins, Seals, Sea Lions and Sea Cows . A&C Black, 2002, ISBN 0-7136-6334-0 (guide with numerous pictures)
- M. Würtz, N. Repetto: Underwater world: Dolphins and Whales . White Star Guides, 2003, ISBN 88-8095-943-3 (identification book)
Web links
- Balaenoptera edeni inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: Reilly, SB, Bannister, JL, Best, PB, Brown, M., Brownell Jr., RL, Butterworth, DS, Clapham, PJ, Cooke, J., Donovan, GP, Urbán, J. & Zerbini, AN, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2013.