Antarctic Minke Whale

Facts about Antarctic Minke Whale, "Scientific name for Antarctic Minke Whales is Balaenoptera bonaerensis" Antarctic Minke Whale is a class of a minke whale that belongs to the genus Balaenoptera of the Balaenopteridae family. Antarctic Minke Whale is the third smallest baleen whale and the next smallest rorqual, following the Common Minke Whale. Currently, the Antarctic Minke Whale is one among the mainstays of the whaling business next to its cosmopolitan equivalent the Common Minke Whale. It is the most copious baleen whale in the world, with the population of the hundreds of thousands. The range of the Antarctic Minke Whale is chiefly limited to the Southern Hemisphere.

Features of Antarctic Minke Whale

An adult Antarctic Minke Whale can grow to a maximum body length of 37 feet (11.27 m). Usually, female Antarctic Minke Whales are bigger than the males, with the maximum body length of 39 feet (11.9 m).

The Antarctic Minke Whale is the healthiest mammal in its genus. They have a thin, piercing, triangular-shaped rostrum, with a low splash protector. Their well-known, erect, hemispherical dorsal fin is habitually more curved and pointed than other whale varieties in their genus. It is usually set about 2/3rd of their body part along the way to their back. The Antarctic Minke Whales have a pale gray patch or flare on their posterior half of the dorsal fin, resembling that of the dolphins in the Lagenorhynchus genus.

The Antarctic Minke Whale lacks the pale gray rostral saddle that is available in the dwarf and common forms. The Antarctic Minke Whales have light, slender blowhole streaks, running from their blowhole slits, which first turn left and afterward right, chiefly their right streak. These lines emerge to be more famous and steady on this whale variety than other whale varieties in their genus.

The Antarctic Minke Whale has a variably colored body, such as pale gray, pale gray with dark edges, or just dark. The Antarctic Minke Whale have the ear line trailing at the back opening intended for the acoustic meatus that extends and becomes more spread posteriorly. A pale gray erratically shaped double chevron or W-shaped outline lies between their flippers. This widens to shape a light gray color shoulder patch on top of the flippers.

The Antarctic Minke Whale has a dark gray color, triangular-shaped thorax field, whereas a narrower dark gray color shoulder infill divides the thorax area from the shoulder area. Two numbers of light gray color, frontward directed caudal chevrons enlarge from the dark gray color field above, shaping a white color peduncle blaze amid them. The soft sided flukes of the Antarctic Minke Whale, usually has a breadth between 8 1/2 feet and 9 feet (2.6 m and 2.73 m) are clean white ventrally and gloomy gray dorsally, with a slender, shadowy margin. The Antarctic Minke Whales have a small, dark gray color speckling on their body.

Diet of Antarctic Minke Whale

The Antarctic Minke Whale mainly feeds on euphausiids.

Behavior of Antarctic Minke Whale

The Antarctic Minke Whale is a more gregarious sea animal than other whale varieties in their family. They use to move with groups that consist of 17 whales. The Antarctic Minke Whales show a huge deal of temporal and spatial separation by gender, age category, and reproductive form. Immature whales prevail from April to May, whereas mature whales, chiefly males, lead from June onwards. During the months of August and September, mature male Antarctic Minke Whales habitually go with cow-calf pairs.

The maximum lifespan of the Antarctic Minke Whale is 50 years.