Balaenoptera brydei
Bryde's Whale           [+]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
species: Balaenoptera brydei
+ITIS +WoRMS +Conservation Status

Description & Behavior

The Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydei (Olsen, 1913), ("Bryde's" is pronounced "broo-dess") is commonly called the tropical whale and like all rorquals (Family Balaenopteridae, the family that includes the blue whale, Bryde's whale, fin whale, humpback whale, minke whale, and sei whale) these long, slender whales are much more streamlined than other large whales. Bryde's whales are dark gray in color on the dorsal side with a yellowish white ventral side. They are the second smallest rorqual with an average length of 12 m, although the female is usually about 0.3 m longer than the male. Bryde's whales have two blowholes located on the top of the head. Bryde's whales are often confused with sei whales; however, the Bryde's whale has three parallel ridges in the area between the blowholes and the tip of the head.

The flippers are small compared body size. The prominent dorsal fin is sickle shaped. Instead of teeth, these whales have two rows of baleen plates. These plates are located on the top jaw and number approximately 300 on each side. Each baleen plate is short and wide, 50 cm by 19 cm. Mass: 12,000-20,000 kg. Thought to live between 50-70 years.

Pygmy Bryde's Whale idenitifed at the Komodo National Park, Indonesia

The pygmy Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni (Anderson, 1879), aka Eden's whale, is found in coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans.

World Range & Habitat

Bryde's whales are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and off the coast of Ethiopia in warm temperate and sub-tropical waters. Populations exist mainly in warmer waters (~20°C). They are not migratory, but they do move between inshore to offshore waters to follow food.

» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips] | Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | [about]

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

Bryde's whales, Balaenoptera brydei, feed almost exclusively on pelagic fish (pilchard, mackerel, herring, and anchovies), pelagic crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, and lobsters), and cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish). The Bryde's whale consumes whatever shoaling prey is available and often exploits the activities of other predators, swimming through and engulfing the fish they have herded. They are therefore frequently found in areas of high fish abundance, along with seabirds, seals, sharks, and other cetaceans.

Life History

Breeding occurs year-round for Bryde's whales. Sexual maturity is reached at 10 years of age for males and 8 years of age for females. The gestation period is approximately 12 months. Most Bryde's whales bear 1 calf. Calves are around 4 m at birth and weigh 1,000 kg.

Comments

Some populations were seriously depleted as a result of historical whaling practices. As a result of the 1986 Moratorium on Whaling, they are protected worldwide. Estimated Current Population: 40-80,000 animals (2000).

References & Further Research

BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia

Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood, and M.A. Webber, FAO species identification guide, Marine mammals of the world, Rome, FAO. 1993. 320 p. 587 figs.

Search the Web for Bryde's Whale » ARKive ~ Ask.com ~ Ask Jeeves ~ bing ~ deviantART ~ dmoz ~ Dogpile ~ Google Images ~ MySpace Images ~ OceanFootage ~ Picsearch ~ StumbleUpon ~ Yahoo! Images ~ YouTube

Feedback?

Are you an expert concerning the above species? Please send us your feedback!
Something missing or incorrect in the above? Let us know!

Citation: Balaenoptera brydei, Bryde's Whale - MarineBio.org. Retrieved , from .

---

Home | Marine Conservation | 100 Ways to Make a Difference | A Sea Ethic | Marine Conservation Biology | Global Warming | Sustainable Fisheries | Marine Biodiversity | Threatened & Endangered Species | Habitat Conservation | Alien Species | Ocean Pollution | Ocean Resources | Eco-Tourism | The Future

Get Involved! Join the MarineBio Society | Partners & Sponsors | Frontline Marine Conservation Support

Latest News: Marine Conservation | Marine Biology | Global Warming/Climate Change | Coral Reefs | Whales | Dolphins | Sharks | Cephalopods | National Geographic | Scripps | WHOI

About MarineBio | Marine Species Database | FAQs | Contact MarineBio | What's New? | MarineBio Resource Directory | MarineBio Sponsors | MarineBio Projects | MarineBio Expeditions | Contributors | The Plankton Forums | MarineBio Blog | Banners & Buttons | Suggest a Site | Site Map