Balaenoptera brydei

Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei )

The Bryde's whale [ bry ː. Də ˌ va ː l] (Balaenoptera brydei ) is a cetacean of the family of rorqual ( Balaenopteridae ). The species was named after the Norwegian whaler and ship owners Johan Bryde (1858-1925) named, and is therefore " brüde " ( and not " braid" ) to pronounce.

Dissemination

The Bryde's whale is found in almost every ocean. In contrast to the other groove of Bryde's whales inhabited year-round temperate and tropical waters. Hiking in the polar regions are not observed.

Description

With a length of 12 to 14 meters and a weight of 16 tons to 25 tons of Bryde's whale is one of the smaller furrows whales. He has an elongated, dark gray body, which is somewhat lighter colored only on the throat and belly. Characteristic of this type are three high- notches on the top of the head. The sei whale, the otherwise looks similar to the Bryde's whale, has only one bar in the middle of the head. The sickle-shaped fin sits like the furrows of whales far back on the body, the Fluke is clearly notched.

Way of life

Bryde's whales live in pairs or small groups, in waters above 20 ° C water temperature. They are unlike other rorqual a rather sedentary species, migratory movements are rather short and depend on the availability of food. The food of these animals consists almost exclusively of schooling fish such as sardines and mackerel, besides also from crustaceans and cephalopods.

Threat

Systematically Bryde's whales were hunted only in the northern Pacific, particularly in the 1960s, otherwise they never came into the sight of the whalers. As a result, applies the species as common and not threatened. Estimates of the total population amounts to 40,000 to 80,000 copies.

Taxonomy

The species was described by a sighting before the South African coast in 1913 as a Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei ), later they were considered identical to one already in 1878 edeni described as Balaenoptera Art Since in these cases the older name enjoys the privilege, as was edeni as correct scientific name. In 1993 it was recognized that the Edenwal represents a separate species, since then is the scientific name for the Bryde's whale B. brydei, although still found as edeni in older works.