BBC - Science & Nature - Sea Life - Fact files: Minke whale/lesser rorqual

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11 November 2009
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Minke whale/lesser rorqual
Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Subspecies
None

Life span
They live for up to 47 years.

Statistics
Body length is 7-10m. They weigh 5-10 tonnes. They are the smallest baleen whale, apart from the pygmy right whale.

Physical Description
Minke whales have a dark upper body with a white underside. They have a pointed head. They may have a white band on the flippers and the dorsal fin is high and curved.

Distribution
Minke whales have a worldwide distribution, although they prefer cooler regions to tropical areas. They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans. They are migratory, but it is not clear whether all segments of the population undertake seasonal movements.

Diet
Minke whales predominantly feed on fish and krill but their diet is among the most varied of all whales.

Behaviour
They travel singly or can be found in groups of 2-4 individuals. Minke whales also appear in aggregations of seemingly unassociated animals. In some places it is rare to see more than one at a time.

Reproduction
The breeding period for minke whales is from December to May. Calves are about 2.5m long and are weaned by 5 months. Females probably calf every other year.

Conservation status
They are common and have a population of 500,000-1,000,000. They are hunted by aboriginal Greenlandic Inuit. They are also taken by Norway and Japan for commercial and scientific purposes respectively.

Notes
They are the only baleen whale to be hunted commercially today.

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