PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Cetacea
FAMILY: Neobalaenidae
GENUS: Caperea
SPECIES: marginata
TOOTHED or BALEEN: baleen
FRESHWATER, SALTERWATER or BRACKISH: Saltwater
HABITAT: Southern hemisphere from the Antarctic to more temperate regions, depending on the time of year.
LENGTH (maximum): 21Ft
WEIGHT (maximum): 10,000 lbs
RELATIVE SPECIES: Right whales, dwarf minke whales
NEIGHBORING SPECIES: Southern Right Whale, Humpback, dwarf minke, Antarctic minke, sei, fin, blue, sperm whale.
PREDATORS: Humans
THREATS: It has rarely been hunted, but they suffer from ship strikes, entanglement and noise disturbance.
DIET: Copepods and occasionally krill
MANNER OF FEEDING: Skim feeding
BEHAVIOR: Very little is known about this species. They can accelerate rapidly when they are threatened. They travel alone or in pairs.Their behavior is probably similar to other baleen whales, such as spy hopping, rolling and breaching.
REPRODUCTION: Gestation is estimated at 12 months, calves stay with mother for 6-12 years
LIFE SPAN: unknown
COOL/GROSS/WEIRD:
They are extremely rare. Only studies have been done from stranded whales. It is unknown how many individuals exist. They are the smallest baleen whales.
SOURCES:
Knopf, Alfred A. Guide to Marine Mammals of the World.Random House. 2002
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
-TSF-
