Pygmy Right Whale [Caperea marginata]
Description
The Pygmy Right Whale is a baleen whale and the smallest of all the baleen whales, reaching a maximum length of 6.5 meters. It is found in the Southern Hemisphere in the sub-Antarctic zone, with a few sightings in warmer waters. The Pygmy Right Whale has a unique body shape among cetaceans, with a curved, falcate dorsal fin set far back on the body, and a broad, arched, upper jaw. It is a filter feeder, primarily feeding on copepods. Its behavior is largely unknown due to its elusive nature, but it is believed to be solitary or travel in small groups.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Mammals
Mammalia
|
| Order |
Cetaceans
Cetacea
|
| Family |
Pygmy right whale
Neobalaenidae
|
| Genus |
Pygmy Right Whale
Caperea
|