Family Balaenidae: the right whales
- bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)
- pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata)
- southern right whale (Eubalaena australis)
- northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
Family Balaenopteridae: the rorqual whales
- Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
- sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
- Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni)
- blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
- fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
- humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Family Eschrichtiidae
- gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
NOTES:
1. Some scientists identify three geographically isolated
populations of Minke whales that may be seperate subspecies:
- Balaenoptera acutorostrata acutorostrata (North Atlantic)
- Balaenoptera acutorostrata bonarensis (southern hemisphere)
- Balaenoptera acutorostrata davidsonii (North Pacific)
2. Some scientists identify three subspecies of blue whales:
- Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda (pygmy blue whale of the subantarctic Indian
Ocean and southeastern Atlantic Ocean)
- Balaenoptera musculus musculus (northern hemisphere)
- Baleanoptera musculus intermedia (southern hemisphere)
-
SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database
www.seaworld.org / www.buschgardens.org
©2002 Busch Entertainment Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
