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Fin Whale

Mammals

The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, found in oceans worldwide from polar to tropical waters, though it is most common in temperate and cold seas. It has a long, streamlined body, a tall, curved dorsal fin set well back on the body, and an unusual asymmetrical coloration on its lower jaw, dark on the left side and pale on the right, a distinguishing feature unique among large whales. Fin whales feed by lunging through dense swarms of krill, small schooling fish and squid, engulfing enormous volumes of water and prey before filtering it out through the baleen plates in their mouths. Among the fastest of the great whales, capable of sustained high-speed swimming that earned it the nickname the greyhound of the sea, it can migrate vast distances between feeding and breeding grounds each year. Heavily hunted during the twentieth century whaling era, fin whale populations were severely depleted, and although commercial whaling of the species has largely ended, it remains classified as vulnerable, with populations only slowly recovering in parts of its range.

Facts
Classification
DietSourced to the subject's own account
Filter Feeder 1
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Relationship to PeopleSourced to the subject's own account
Hunted or Fished 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status.
Scientific NameSourced to the subject's own account
Balaenoptera physalus 1
Conservation StatusSourced to the subject's own account
Vulnerable 1
Disputed
Population Estimate
100,000 1
Sourced to the subject's own accountWikipedia cites a 2018 estimate ranging from 100,000 to 140,000 mature individuals worldwide; the lower, more conservative bound is recorded here rather than a false precise midpoint.
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceSourced to the subject's own account
The fin whale's body is long, slender, and brownish-gray in color, with a paler underside to appear less conspicuous from below (countershading). 1
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G3 Vulnerable 3
CITES Appendix
Appendix I 4
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Balaenopteridae, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Open Ocean, Biomes
Source Fin Whale (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Gulf of California, Ecosystems
Source Fin Whale (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Antarctica

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Belgium

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Brazil

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Comoros

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Denmark

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Ecuador

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Greece

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Kenya

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Madagascar

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mauritius

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mexico

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mozambique

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Namibia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Netherlands

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

New Zealand

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Portugal

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Seychelles

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Spain

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Taiwan

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Tanzania

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Venezuela

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Fin Whale (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence
    The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also known as the finback whale or common rorqual, is a species of baleen whale and the second-longest cetacean after the blue whale.
  • Infobox: status
    VU
  • Lead section, physical description
    The fin whale's body is long, slender, and brownish-gray in color, with a paler underside to appear less conspicuous from below (countershading).
  • Population section, 2018 estimate
    As of 2018, the global fin whale population is estimated to be 100,000-140,000 mature individuals.
  • Infobox: status3
    CITES_A1
  • In Biome: Open Ocean, Wikipedia intro: "ly from waters close to the pack ice at the poles and relatively small areas of water away from the open ocean. The highest population density occurs in tempera..."
  • In Ecosystem: Gulf of California, Range and habitat
    Although some fin whales are apparently present year-round in the Gulf of California, a significant increase occurs in their numbers in the winter and spring.
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. NatureServe Explorer: Balaenoptera physalus
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G3"
View the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Balaenoptera physalus (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
Quote, Conservation Status: CITES
CITES Appendix I
View the Source
Wikidata: Fin Whale
Wikidata Q179020, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: BalaenopteridaeView the Source
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