Blue whale - Revision history

Patriotic Gamer: whales category

2021-05-26T21:52:30Z

whales category

Dataclarifier: /* Species Description */ linked cosmopolitan

2018-01-18T07:07:37Z

‎Species Description: linked cosmopolitan

DavidB4-bot: Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: Portugese → Portuguese, ie. → i.e. , eg. → e.g.

2016-06-25T02:11:51Z

Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: Portugese → Portuguese, ie. → i.e. , eg. → e.g.

DavidB4-bot: clean up

2016-06-24T23:35:54Z

clean up

DavidE: /* North Pacific */ internal link

2011-11-09T16:54:31Z

‎North Pacific: internal link

Karajou at 04:43, April 29, 2010

2010-04-29T04:43:57Z

Iduan: updating with info

2009-02-13T05:10:55Z

updating with info

Karajou: added fed govt detail

2008-06-20T04:00:52Z

added fed govt detail

Show changes

BrianCo: remove extraneous category

2008-01-19T23:19:55Z

remove extraneous category

BrianCo: added navbox

2007-07-23T01:28:20Z

added navbox

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:52, May 26, 2021
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	{{Nb zm whales}}		{{Nb zm whales}}
		+	[[Category:Whales]]

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 ==Species Description==
 ====Physical characteristics====
-The blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus 1758), is a cosmopolitan species of baleen whale. Blue whales in the Northern Hemisphere are generally smaller than those in the Southern Ocean. Maximum body length in the North Atlantic was about 88.5 feet (27 m) and the largest blue whale reported from the North Pacific was about 88 feet (26.8 m). Adults in the Antarctic can reach a maximum body length of about 108 feet (33 m) and can weigh more than 330,000 pounds (150,000&nbsp;kg).
+The blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus 1758), is a [[cosmopolitan]] species of baleen whale. Blue whales in the Northern Hemisphere are generally smaller than those in the Southern Ocean. Maximum body length in the North Atlantic was about 88.5 feet (27 m) and the largest blue whale reported from the North Pacific was about 88 feet (26.8 m). Adults in the Antarctic can reach a maximum body length of about 108 feet (33 m) and can weigh more than 330,000 pounds (150,000&nbsp;kg).
 As is true of other baleen whale species, female blue whales are somewhat larger than males. Blue whales are identified by the following characteristics: a long-body and comparatively slender shape; a broad, flat "rostrum" when viewed from above; a proportionately smaller dorsal fin than other baleen whales; and a mottled gray color pattern that appears light blue when seen through the water.

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 There is some evidence which suggests the distribution and migratory patterns of blue whales may have changed in at least four areas: northern Norway, southern Japan, eastern Aleutian Islands, and northern California.
-In northern Norway (ie. Finnmark, Bear Island, and Svalbard) the paucity of sightings during recent surveys along the coast where blue whales were common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, may suggest that the historic distribution has changed (Christensen et al., 1992). However, it could also indicate depletion of the population by whaling.
+In northern Norway (i.e. Finnmark, Bear Island, and Svalbard) the paucity of sightings during recent surveys along the coast where blue whales were common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, may suggest that the historic distribution has changed (Christensen et al., 1992). However, it could also indicate depletion of the population by whaling.
 In the western North Pacific, the lack of blue whales off southern Japan today may also suggest that the distribution of these animals has changed or that the animals of this region have been extirpated. South of the eastern Aleutian Islands (160ºW and 180ºW), relatively large concentrations of blue whales were documented in the 1970s but the species appears rare there today, suggesting that illegal and unreported whaling depleted the population (Stewart et al., 1987 and Forney and Brownell, 1997).
-Off northern California (eg. Farallon Islands, Moss Landing, and Trinidad), the recent appearance of numerous blue whales is noteworthy in light of their rarity in these regions prior to the late 1970s. Calambokidis (1995) concluded that such changes in distribution reflect a shift in feeding from the more offshore euphausiid, Euphausia pacifica, to the primarily "neritic" euphausiid, Thysanoëssa spinifera.
+Off northern California (e.g. Farallon Islands, Moss Landing, and Trinidad), the recent appearance of numerous blue whales is noteworthy in light of their rarity in these regions prior to the late 1970s. Calambokidis (1995) concluded that such changes in distribution reflect a shift in feeding from the more offshore euphausiid, Euphausia pacifica, to the primarily "neritic" euphausiid, Thysanoëssa spinifera.
 ===Population Trends===
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 Illegal whaling for blue whales has been documented or is likely to have occurred in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Southern Hemisphere. A small number of illegal kills of blue whales have been documented in the Northern Atlantic off Canada and Spain, and in the eastern North Atlantic. Blue whales were also killed in the Southern Hemisphere by the Soviet Union after 1966 (Zemsky et al., 1995a, 1995b). Some illegal whaling by the USSR also occurred in the North Pacific (Yablokov, 1994); it is likely that blue whales were among the species taken by these operations, but the extent is not known.
-No aboriginal whaling for blue whales is known to exist. Aboriginal hunters who target whales off the coast of the Lesser Antilles and Greenland do not target blue whales. Further, Norwegian whaling operations target only minke whales, and the commercial whaling stations in Iceland, Spain, and the Portugese islands of the Azores and Madeira remain officially closed.
+No aboriginal whaling for blue whales is known to exist. Aboriginal hunters who target whales off the coast of the Lesser Antilles and Greenland do not target blue whales. Further, Norwegian whaling operations target only minke whales, and the commercial whaling stations in Iceland, Spain, and the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira remain officially closed.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 ==Species Description==
 ====Physical characteristics====
-The blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus 1758), is a cosmopolitan species of baleen whale. Blue whales in the Northern Hemisphere are generally smaller than those in the Southern Ocean. Maximum body length in the North Atlantic was about 88.5 feet (27 m) and the largest blue whale reported from the North Pacific was about 88 feet (26.8 m). Adults in the Antarctic can reach a maximum body length of about 108 feet (33 m) and can weigh more than 330,000 pounds (150,000 kg).
+The blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus 1758), is a cosmopolitan species of baleen whale. Blue whales in the Northern Hemisphere are generally smaller than those in the Southern Ocean. Maximum body length in the North Atlantic was about 88.5 feet (27 m) and the largest blue whale reported from the North Pacific was about 88 feet (26.8 m). Adults in the Antarctic can reach a maximum body length of about 108 feet (33 m) and can weigh more than 330,000 pounds (150,000&nbsp;kg).
 As is true of other baleen whale species, female blue whales are somewhat larger than males. Blue whales are identified by the following characteristics: a long-body and comparatively slender shape; a broad, flat "rostrum" when viewed from above; a proportionately smaller dorsal fin than other baleen whales; and a mottled gray color pattern that appears light blue when seen through the water.
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 ====Life History====
-Scientists have yet to discern many details regarding the life history of the blue whale. The best available science suggests the gestation period is approximately 10-12 months and that blue whale calves are nursed for about 6-7 months. Most reproductive activity, including births and mating, takes place during the winter. Weaning probably occurs on, or en route to, summer feeding areas. The average calving interval is probably two to three years. The age of sexual maturity is thought to be 5-15 years. There are no known differences in the reproductive biology of blue whales in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.
+Scientists have yet to discern many details regarding the life history of the blue whale. The best available science suggests the gestation period is approximately 10–12 months and that blue whale calves are nursed for about 6–7 months. Most reproductive activity, including births and mating, takes place during the winter. Weaning probably occurs on, or en route to, summer feeding areas. The average calving interval is probably two to three years. The age of sexual maturity is thought to be 5–15 years. There are no known differences in the reproductive biology of blue whales in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.
 ====Habitat====
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 ====Ship strikes====
-A primary threat to blue whales is mortality and serious injury caused by ship strikes. In the eastern North Pacific, ship strikes were implicated in the deaths of blues whales in 1980, 1986, 1987, 1993 and 2002. The average number of blue whale mortalities in California attributed to ship strikes was 0.2 per year from 1991-1995 and from 1998-2002. In September 2007, three blue whale mortalities were confirmed to be caused by ship strikes in the Santa Barbara Channel off Southern California. These deaths were part of a larger Unusual Mortality Event, declared by the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events. In the western North Atlantic, at least nine percent of the whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have injuries or scars attributed to contact with ships (Sears et al., 1990). This area has a relatively high risk of ship strikes because the St. Lawrence Seaway has heavy ship traffic during the time of year when blue whales are relatively abundant. In March 1998, a dead 20 m (66ft) male blue whale was brought into Rhode Island waters on the bow of a tanker. The cause of death was determined to be ship strike. There are no records of ship strikes for blue whales in the western North Pacific but mortalities caused by ship strikes have likely occurred without being reported.
+A primary threat to blue whales is mortality and serious injury caused by ship strikes. In the eastern North Pacific, ship strikes were implicated in the deaths of blues whales in 1980, 1986, 1987, 1993 and 2002. The average number of blue whale mortalities in California attributed to ship strikes was 0.2 per year from 1991–1995 and from 1998-2002. In September 2007, three blue whale mortalities were confirmed to be caused by ship strikes in the Santa Barbara Channel off Southern California. These deaths were part of a larger Unusual Mortality Event, declared by the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events. In the western North Atlantic, at least nine percent of the whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have injuries or scars attributed to contact with ships (Sears et al., 1990). This area has a relatively high risk of ship strikes because the St. Lawrence Seaway has heavy ship traffic during the time of year when blue whales are relatively abundant. In March 1998, a dead 20&nbsp;m (66&nbsp;ft) male blue whale was brought into Rhode Island waters on the bow of a tanker. The cause of death was determined to be ship strike. There are no records of ship strikes for blue whales in the western North Pacific but mortalities caused by ship strikes have likely occurred without being reported.
 ====Fisheries interactions====
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 *Gunnlaugsson, T., and J. Sigurjónsson. 1990. NASS-87: "Estimation of whale abundance based on observations made on board Icelandic and Faroese survey vessels." Report to the International Whaling Commission. 40:571-580.
 *IWC. 2007. International Whaling Commission statistics. [[www.iwcoffice.org]]
-*Mitchell, E. 1974. "Present status of Northwest Atlantic fin and other whale stocks." Pp. 108-169 In: Schevill, W.E. (ed.) ''The whale problem: a status report.'' Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. 419pp.
+*Mitchell, E. 1974. "Present status of Northwest Atlantic fin and other whale stocks." pp.&nbsp;108–169 In: Schevill, W.E. (ed.) ''The whale problem: a status report.'' Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. 419pp.
 *Ohsumi, S., and S. Wada. 1972. "Stock assessment of blue whales in the North Pacific." Unpublished working paper for the 24th meeting of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, 20 pp.
 *O'Shea, T.J., and R.L. Brownell, Jr. 1994. "Organochlorine and metal contaminants in baleen whales: a review and evaluation of conservation implications." Sci. Total Environment 154:179-200.
-*Rice, D.W. 1986. Blue whale. Pp. 4-45 In: D. Haley (ed.) ''Marine mammals of eastern North Pacific and Arctic waters''. Second edition. Pacific Search Press.
+*Rice, D.W. 1986. Blue whale. pp.&nbsp;4–45 In: D. Haley (ed.) ''Marine mammals of eastern North Pacific and Arctic waters''. Second edition. Pacific Search Press.
 *Sears, R. 1990. "The Cortez blues." ''Whalewatcher'' 24(2):12-15.
 *Sears, R., F.W. Wenzel, and J.M. Williamson. 1987. ''The Blue Whale: A Catalogue of Individuals from the Western North Atlantic (Gulf of St. Lawrence)''. Mingan Island Cetacean Study, St. Lambert, Quebec. 27 pp.
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 *Watkins, W.A., J.E. George, M.A. Daher, K. Mullin, D.L. Martin, S.H. Haga, and N.A. DiMarzio. 2000. "Whale call data for the North Pacific November 1995 through July 1999: Occurrence of calling whales and source locations from SOSUS and other acoustic systems". Technical Report WHOI_00_02 available from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 160pp.
 *Yablokov, A.V. 1994. Validity of whaling data. Nature 367:108.
-*Yochem, P.K., and S. Leatherwood. 1985. Blue whale ''Balaenoptera musculus'' (Linnaeus, 1758). Pp. 193-240 In: Ridgway, S.H. and R. Harrison (eds.), ''Handbook of Marine Mammals'', Vol. 3: "The Sirenians and Baleen Whales." Academic Press, London. 362 pp.
+*Yochem, P.K., and S. Leatherwood. 1985. Blue whale ''Balaenoptera musculus'' (Linnaeus, 1758). pp.&nbsp;193–240 In: Ridgway, S.H. and R. Harrison (eds.), ''Handbook of Marine Mammals'', Vol. 3: "The Sirenians and Baleen Whales." Academic Press, London. 362 pp.
 *Zemsky, V.A., A.A. Berzin, Y.A. Mikhaliev, and D.D. Tormosov. 1995a. "Soviet Antarctic pelagic whaling after WWII: review of actual catch data. Report of the Sub-committee on Southern hemisphere baleen whales". Rep. int. Whal. Commn. 45:131-135.
-*Zemsky, V.A., A.A. Berzin, Y.A. Mikhaliev, and D.D. Tormosov. 1995b. Antarctic whaling data (1947-1972). Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow. 320 pp. [In Russian with English summaries.]
+*Zemsky, V.A., A.A. Berzin, Y.A. Mikhaliev, and D.D. Tormosov. 1995b. Antarctic whaling data (1947–1972). Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow. 320 pp. [In Russian with English summaries.]

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 ====North Pacific====
-The blue whale's range is known to encompass much of the North Pacific Ocean, from Kamchatka to southern Japan in the west, and from the Gulf of Alaska and California south to at least Costa Rica in the east. The species is found primarily south of the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea. Whaling and sighting data suggest the existence of at least five subpopulations of blue whales, with an unknown degree of mixing among them:
+The blue whale's range is known to encompass much of the North Pacific Ocean, from Kamchatka to southern Japan in the west, and from the Gulf of Alaska and California south to at least Costa Rica in the east. The species is found primarily south of the Aleutian Islands and the [[Bering Sea]]. Whaling and sighting data suggest the existence of at least five subpopulations of blue whales, with an unknown degree of mixing among them:
 *Southern Japan (which appears to have been virtually "extirpated" by whaling)
 *Northern Japan/Kurils/Kamchatka

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 |image=BluewhaleNOAA.jpg
 |caption=
-|superkingdom=Eukaryota
+|domain=Eukaryota
 |kingdom= Animalia
-|subkingdom= Metazoa
+|subkingdom=Bilateria
-|superphylum= Deuterostomia
+|branch=Deuterostomia
 |phylum=Chordata
-|subphylum= Vertebrata
+|subphylum=Vertebrata
-|infraphylum=
+|infraphylum=Gnathostomata
 |microphylum=
 |superdivision=
 |division=
 |subdivision=
-|superclass= Gnathostomata
+|superclass=Tetrapoda
 |class=Mammalia
-|subclass=Theria
+|subclass=Theriiformes
-|infraclass= Eutheria
+|infraclass=Holotheria
-|superorder= Laurasiatheria
+|superorder=Preptotheria
 |order=Cetacea
 |suborder=Mysticeti
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 |superfamily=
 |family=Balaenopteridae
-|subfamily=
+|subfamily=Balaenopterinae
 |supertribe=
 |tribe=

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:19, January 19, 2008
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−	~~[[Category:Cetaceans]]~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:28, July 23, 2007
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−	{{Nb zm ~~cetaceans~~}}	+	{{Nb zm whales}}
	[[Category:Cetaceans]]		[[Category:Cetaceans]]