Pygmy right whale

Pygmy ( Caperea marginata )

The Pygmy ( Caperea marginata ) is the smallest of the baleen whales. It is rare and poorly known. Because of certain similarities he is sometimes included in the family of right whales; he total but deviates too much from this, a separate family, the Neobalaenidae was erected for him. More recent research indicates that he is the last survivor of the Cetotheriidae, a Bartenwalfamilie previously thought to be extinct.

Features

With a maximum length of 6 m and a weight of up to three tons of Pygmy for a baleen whale is unusually small. The color is black to dark gray. With the right whales connect it to the oversized head and the curved lower jaw. However, there are also striking differences: The Pygmy has a dorsal fin and throat grooves rudimentary recognizable, both typical features of the rorqual. So while it appears to mediate in part between smooth and furrows whales, there are still other characteristics that make him unique among the whales. This includes the number of ridges 34, more than any other species'.

Dissemination

The Pygmy living in temperate and cold seas of the southern hemisphere. Since this whale is so rare, there is no definitive clarity about its range. He was seen in seas near Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa and the Falkland Islands.

Way of life

Little is known about the way of life. As the Pygmy right whales seems to be a slow swimmer who likes joins forces to social organizations. In one case, a group of eight dwarf right whales was observed. The food are filtered through the baleen micro- organisms such as copepods.

Others

Due mostly to the geschwemmten off the southern Australia, Tasmania and South Africa in the spring and summer carcasses of Pygmy has become known. However, he is rarely seen on the open sea. Since he has never hunted, it is believed that this species has never been particularly common.