Humpback whale
| Humpback whale | |
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| Size comparison against an average human | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Subclass: | Eutheria |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Suborder: | Mysticeti |
| Family: | Balaenopteridae |
| Genus: | Megaptera Gray, 1846 |
| Species: | M. novaeangliae |
| Binomial name | |
| Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski, 1781 |
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| Humpback whale range | |
A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a large baleen whale with large, knobby flippers. It can be found in every ocean. They are sometimes referred to as, 'Gentle Giants.'
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Feeding [change]
Humpback whales eat krill and small schooling fish, example herring, capelin, and sand lance. They round up their prey by swimming in tight circles and blowing curtains of bubbles around them. They often hunt in small groups, called pods.
Whale song [change]
The male whale is known to sing for up to 22 hours at a time. Because whales do not have vocal chords, they make songs by forcing air through their nasal passages. Every male has a different song, which he uses to call a female or scare away other males. The songs are made up of a pattern of low notes repeated over a period of hours or days. The whales slowly change their songs over a period of years.
Other sounds [change]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Megaptera novaeangliae |
Both the male and female humpback whales make other sounds, such as moans and grunts, to communicate with each other.
References [change]
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Wikispecies has information on: Megaptera novaeangliae. |
- ↑ Cetacean Specialist Group (1996). Megaptera novaeangliae. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a lengthy justification of why this species is vulnerable
