Eubalaena
| Eubalaena | ||||||||||||
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Northern Atlantic right whale with calf |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Eubalaena | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1864 |
The Eubalaena are a genus of the right whale that includes three whale species: the Atlantic northern right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ), the Pacific northern right whale ( Eubalaena japonica ) and the southern right whale ( Eubalaena australis ).
features
The right whales of the genus Eubalaena belong as baleen whales to the largest species of whale and thus to the largest animal species at all. The two northern right whales and the southern right whale are about the same size and weight; they are usually about 15 meters long, the maximum body length can reach 18 meters. Their weight is between 50 and 56 tons. It is characterized by the long, thin, black beards , which are around 2.5 meters long in the northern right whale and the southern right whale .
As right whales, they do not have any furrows on their throats, which are typical of the furrow whales . They also lack a back fin and the flippers are quite short, but strong. As residents of mostly very cold seas up to the Southern Ocean, they have an extremely thick bubble . This layer of fat, which in its thickness significantly exceeds that of other whales , offers insulation against the cold water.
The northern right whale and the southern right whale differ from other whale species and also from the closely related bowhead whale by their conspicuous skin growths in the head area; especially the upper and lower jaw as well as the eye area are affected. These skin growths are of barnacles and Walläusen ( Cyamus settled). It is noticeable that these so-called "caps" are more pronounced in bulls than in females.
distribution
The species prefer to live in cold seas, but on their migrations they also reach warm seas in the subtropics. Almost all waters around the Arctic are inhabited by right whales, as are large parts of the North Atlantic and the North Pacific . The northern Atlantic right whale and the northern Pacific right whale live here .
The southern hemisphere is inhabited by the southern right whale, who inhabits all of the southern seas except for the coasts of Antarctica. The south coast of Australia , parts of the coast of South America and the south coast of Africa belong to the area he inhabits.
Distribution of the Atlantic North Cape
Distribution of the Pacific North Cape
Distribution of the southern caper
Way of life
Eubalaena species are slow swimming whales that, like all baleen whales, sieve their food out of the water with their beards; copepods mainly get caught in it, but also small fish.
Systematics
The genus Eubalaena includes three species: the Atlantic northern right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ), the Pacific northern right whale ( Eubalaena japonica ) and the southern right whale ( Eubalaena australis ). Together with the bowhead whale ( Balaena mysticetus ), these form the family of right whales.
The species Eubalaena glacialis and Eubalaena japonica were listed as subspecies of the species Eubalaena glacialis until the year 2000 . Recent DNA studies supported the thesis that the two subspecies are two separate species.
supporting documents
- ↑ Eubalaena glacialis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: SB Reilly, JL Bannister, PB Best, M. Brown, RL Brownell Jr., DS Butterworth, PJ Clapham, J. Cooke, GP Donovan, J. Urbán , AN Zerbini, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ↑ Eubalaena japonica in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: SB Reilly, JL Bannister, PB Best, M. Brown, RL Brownell Jr., DS Butterworth, PJ Clapham, J. Cooke, GP Donovan, J. Urbán , AN Zerbini, 1996. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ↑ Eubalaena australis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: SB Reilly, JL Bannister, PB Best, M. Brown, RL Brownell Jr., DS Butterworth, PJ Clapham, J. Cooke, GP Donovan, J. Urbán , AN Zerbini, 1996. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Eubalaena ( Memento of the original of February 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Eubalaena japonica ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Robert D. Kenney: North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Southern Right Whales. In: William F. Perrin, Bernd Würsig, JGM Thewissen (Hrsg.): Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, San Diego 2002; Pp. 806-813. ISBN 0-12-551340-2
- In the 75th chapter of the novel " Moby Dick " by Herman Melville there is a detailed description of a right whale of the genus Eubalaena, which is called Retwal in the German translation and right whale in the original English version .
Web links
- Eubalaena glacialis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: SB Reilly, JL Bannister, PB Best, M. Brown, RL Brownell Jr., DS Butterworth, PJ Clapham, J. Cooke, GP Donovan, J. Urbán, AN Zerbini, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- Eubalaena japonica in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: SB Reilly, JL Bannister, PB Best, M. Brown, RL Brownell Jr., DS Butterworth, PJ Clapham, J. Cooke, GP Donovan, J. Urbán, AN Zerbini, 1996. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- Eubalaena australis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: SB Reilly, JL Bannister, PB Best, M. Brown, RL Brownell Jr., DS Butterworth, PJ Clapham, J. Cooke, GP Donovan, J. Urbán, AN Zerbini, 1996. Retrieved January 8, 2012.