Bowhead whale
species of mammal
The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is an Arctic baleen whale, a right whale with a large, bow-shaped head that is up to 40% of its body length. The arched mouth is up to 10 feet (3 m) wide and 20 feet (6 m) deep. The eyes are very small and lips are huge. Bowheads live in pods, are rich in blubber (a subcutaneous layer 20-inch (50 cm) thick in places), and have 2 blowholes.
| Balaena, Balaena mysticetus Temporal range: Earliest Pleistocene-Present
| |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| Size comparison against an average human | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Balaena
|
| Species: | B. mysticetus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Balaena mysticetus | |
| |
| Bowhead whale range | |
References
change- ↑ "Balaena mysticetus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
Other websites
change
Media related to Bowhead whale at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Balaena mysticetus at Wikispecies
