Everything about The Pygmy Right Whale totally explained
The
Pygmy Right Whale (
Caperea marginata) is a
baleen whale, the sole member of the
family Neobalaenidae. First described by Gray in 1846, it's the smallest of the
baleen whales, ranging between 4 and 6.5 m in length and 3,000 and 3,500 kg in mass. Despite its name, the Pygmy Right Whale has more in common with the
Gray Whale and
rorquals than the
Bowhead and
Right Whales.
The Pygmy Right Whale is found in the
Southern Ocean in the lower reaches of the
Southern Hemisphere, and feeds on
copepods and
euphausiids. Little is known about its population or social habits. Unlike most other baleen whales, it has rarely been subject to exploitation.
Description
The Pygmy Right Whale is rarely encountered and consequently little studied. However it's known that the Pygmy Right is by far the smallest of the baleen whales. The birth weight and size of the animal are unknown. The estimated length of an adult is between 4 and 6.5 m. The estimated weight of an adult is between 3,000 and 3,500 kg. Gestation and lactation periods and longevity are all unknown. Part of the reason for the paucity of data may be the relative inactivity of the whale, making location for study difficult. The blow is small and indistinct and the whale is usually a slow undulating swimmer, although capable of bursts of acceleration.
The colouring and shape of the Pygmy Right Whale, a dark grey top side and lighter grey underside, commonly with a pair of chevron-shaped lighter patches behind the eyes, is similar to that of the
Dwarf and
Antarctic Minke Whales and at sea may easily be confused with these two species if the jaw and flippers are not carefully observed. The arched jawline isn't as pronounced as other
Right Whales and may not be sufficient to distinguish a Pygmy Right Whale from a Minke Whale. The long, narrow cream-coloured baleen plates with a distinctive white gumline are the most effective discriminators. Unlike true Right Whales, Pygmy Rights don't have callosities. The
dorsal fin is falcate (crescent-shaped) and located about three-quarters of the way along the back of the animal. Unlike the Minke Whale, occasionally the dorsal won't be seen on the whale surfacing, and the tail fin hasn't been observed clear of the water.
Analysis of the stomach contents of dead Pygmy Right Whales indicates that it feeds on
copepods and
euphausiids. It isn't known if the animal feeds close to shore or at sea. Similarly the social and mating structures are unknown. The whale is typically seen alone or in pairs, with occasional sightings of groups up to 10 strong and one report of 80 animals grouped closely in oceanic waters.
Population and distribution
The Pygmy Right Whale is perhaps the least studied of all
cetaceans on account of its sparse population (as of 1998 fewer than 20 encounters in the open sea have been recorded worldwide - the whale prefers sheltered shallow bays). The species lives in the Southern Hemisphere and is believed to be
circumpolar, living in a band from about 30°S to 50°S in areas with surface water temperature between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius. One individual was found washed up as far south as
Tierra del Fuego (55°S) in southern
Argentina. Individuals have been found on the coast of
Namibia,
South Africa,
Australia and
New Zealand. One group may be a year-round resident off
Tasmania. The total population is unknown.
Whaling and whale-watching
On account of its relatively small size and sparse distribution the Pygmy Right Whale has rarely been taken by whalers. A 3.39m male was taken off South Africa in 1917, and it's likely that a few Pygmy Rights were taken opportunistically by whalers hunting
Minke Whales. Also a few Pygmy Right Whales are known to have been caught in fishing nets. However these factors are not believed to have had a significant impact on the population.
Most data about Pygmy Right Whales comes from individual specimens washed up on coastlines; they're rarely encountered at sea and so they're not the primary subject of any
whale watching cruises.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Pygmy Right Whale'.
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