Caperea marginata, Pygmy Right Whale [+]
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Cetacea
Family Neobalaenidae
Genus Caperea
species: Caperea marginata [+ITIS +WoRMS]
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Description & Behavior
The pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata (Gray, 1846), averages 6.1-6.4 m in length, and weighs a maximum of 4,500 kg. Males tend to be slightly smaller than females. They are dark gray on the dorsal side, which becomes increasingly darker with age. The ventral side is white. The flanks of the pygmy right whale feature two distinct chevron-shaped markings. They have a small falcate (curved) dorsal fin located on the posterior end of the body. The small, narrow, rounded flippers are darker than the rest of the body. The tail flukes have a slight notch in the center.
The pygmy right whale is classified in its own Family (Neobalaenidae) though it shares many characteristics (such as mouth shape) with other right whales: the North Atlantic and Pacific right whales and southern right whales and the bowhead whale. The upper jaw is arched while the lower jaw, which extends slightly beyond the upper jaw, is curved. They upper jaw features between 210-230 baleen plates on each side that measure up to 69 cm and are yellow-white with a dark brown band. The baleen plates of the pygmy right whale are stronger and more flexible than other baleen whale species. Two grooves are located on the throat similar to the throat grooves of the gray whale. Pygmy right whales have small heads and small blowholes. Their skeletal structure consists of 17 pairs of broad, flat ribs that extend 2/3 of the body length towards the posterior end. Pygmy right whales have more rib pairs than any other baleen whale, which some consider the reason to classify this species in a family by itself.
Pygmy right whales are found singly or in pairs, although groups of up to 80 whales have been observed. Although little is known about them, it is thought that pygmy right whales do not exhibit common behaviors of other whales such as breaching or displaying their flukes. In one case, a pygmy right whale was observed swimming by undulating the body from head to tail rather than swimming using movement of the tail area and flukes like other cetaceans. Pygmy right whales are strong, fast swimmers.
World Range & Habitat
Pygmy right whales, Caperea marginata, are found in temperate waters of the southern hemisphere. They are frequently sighted in Tasmania and seasonally along the coasts of South Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Falkland Islands, and some areas of Antarctica.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Pygmy right whales, Caperea marginata, primarily feed on copepods, but examination of the stomach contents of stranded whales shown that krill is also part of their diet.
Life History
Very little data exists on the reproductive habits of pygmy right whales. Pregnant females have been found stranded in shallow waters, which may indicate that they give birth in shallow coastal waters. There is also some evidence that they move closer inshore to sheltered, shallow bays in spring and summer.
Conservation Status/Additional Comments
Total population numbers of pygmy right whales, Caperea marginata, are unknown. They are not known to have ever been hunted commercially or by subsistence hunters.
References & Further Research
BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia
ACS Pygmy right whale Cetacean Fact Sheet - American Cetacean Society
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)
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