Bowhead whale  (Balaena mysticetus)

Authentication

Authenticated (19/08/02) by WDCS, The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
http://www.wdcs.org

Glossary

  • Baleen: in some whales, the comb-like fibrous plates hanging from the upper jaw that are used to sieve food from sea water. These are often referred to as whalebone.
  • Crustaceans: diverse group of arthropods (a phylum of animals with jointed limbs and a hard chitinous exoskeleton) characterised by the possession of two pairs of antennae, one pair of mandibles (parts of the mouthparts used for handling and processing food) and two pairs of maxillae (appendages used in eating, which are located behind the mandibles). Includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, slaters, woodlice and barnacles.
  • Dorsal fin: in fish, the unpaired fin found on the back of the body.
  • Gestation: the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth.
  • Plankton: aquatic organisms that drift with water movements; may be either phytoplankton (plants), or zooplankton (animals).

References

  1. IUCN Red List (November, 2008)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org
  2. WDCS. (2002) Pers. comm.
  3. Macdonald, D. (2001) The New Encyclopedia of Mammals.Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  4. CITES (March, 2008)
    http://www.cites.org
  5. CMS (March, 2008)
    http://www.cms.int
  6. Animal Diversity Web (August, 2002)
    http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/balaena/b._mysticetus$narrative.html
  7. UNEP-WCMC (March, 2008)
    http://www.unep-wcmc.org/species/data/species_sheets/bowhead.htm
  8. Carwardine, M., Hoyt, E., Fordyce, R.E. and and Gill, P. (1998) Whales and Dolphins.Harper Collins, London.
  9. International Whaling Commission (August, 2002)
    http://www.iwcoffice.org
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