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Balaenoptera sibbaldii Sars , 1875. The blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 meters (98 ft) and weighing up to 199 tonnes (196 long tons; 219 short tons), it is the largest animal known ever to have existed. [ a] The blue whale's long and slender body can be of ...
The blue whale is the largest mammal of all time, with the longest known specimen being 33 m (108.3 ft) long and the heaviest weighted specimen being 190 tonnes. [ 15 ] [ 60 ] [ 61 ] The extinct whale species Perucetus colossus was shorter than the blue whale, at 17.0–20.1 meters (55.8–65.9 ft) but it is estimated to have rivaled or ...
Cetacea. Cetacea ( / sɪˈteɪʃə /; from Latin cetus ' whale ', from Ancient Greek κῆτος ( kêtos) ' huge fish, sea monster ') [ 3] is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often ...
Despite being the largest animal on the planet, blue whales maintain a life of secrecy, spending their days in the deep, open ocean. The opportunity to see a blue whale comes once-in-a-lifetime ...
Interestingly, female blue whales are usually larger than the males. Even a blue whale's heart it big. Treehugger shared, "It's the largest heart in the animal kingdom, weighing about 400 pounds.
Whales defecate at the ocean's surface; their excrement is important for fisheries because it is rich in iron and nitrogen. The whale feces are liquid and instead of sinking, they stay at the surface where phytoplankton feed off it. [90] [91] Upon death, whale carcasses fall to the deep ocean and provide a substantial habitat for marine life.
Narwhal. The narwhal ( Monodon monoceros) is a species of toothed whale native to the Arctic. It is the only member of the genus Monodon, and one of two living representatives of the family Monodontidae. The narwhal has a similar build to the closely related beluga whale, with which it overlaps in range and can interbreed.
Delphinus gladiator Bonnaterre, 1789. Orca gladiator (Bonnaterre, 1789) The orca ( Orcinus orca ), or killer whale, is a toothed whale that is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. It is the only extant species in the genus Orcinus. Orcas are recognizable by their black-and-white patterned body.