White Whale
Related Category: Vertebrate Zoology
see beluga.
More on White Whale
Beluga - (bl´g) or white whale, small, toothed northern whale, Delphinapterus leucas.
White whales
The white whale family contains two unusual species. One is the tusked narwhal , also known as the 'unicorn of the sea'. The other is the beluga whale, also called the 'sea canary' because of its trilling song.
White whales are smallish, ranging from 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6.1 meters) in length. They have rounded foreheads and no dorsal fin.
Also known as:
White Whale, Belukha, Sea Canary
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
The sperm whale was celebrated as the 'great white whale' named Moby Dick in Herman Melville's novel of that name.
The beluga whale, aka white whale, Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776), is an incredibly fascinating small whale with a characteristic stocky frame, solid white color, and bulbous melon.
The beluga is also known as the white whale for its milky white skin. It is the only species of whale that is entirely white, although it is born gray and fades gradually with age.
The beluga whale is also called the white whale or sea canary, due to its vocalizations.
Its melon (the fatty lump of tissue on its forhead) is very large and is used in echolocation.
BELUGA (Delphinapterus leucas), also called the "white whale," a cetacean of the family Delphinidae, characterized by its rounded head and uniformly light colour.
The beluga, which is also called the white whale, is found mainly in Arctic and northern Pacific and Atlantic waters, around Europe, Asia and North America. A small, highly vulnerable population exists in the Gulf of St.
" Belugas are also known as white whales. At birth, beluga calves are generally dark gray. They gradually lighten with age, and upon reaching maturity, attain the white coloration characteristic of adult belugas.
It's In the Teeth: The toothed whale group, of which the dolphin is a member, also includes river dolphins, porpoises, white whales, sperm whales, orcas and beaked whales.
family Monodontidae - white whales with no dorsal fin and a blunt head.
Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas )
Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)
family Platanistidae - river dolphins - light colored and long beaks ...
Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) AKA White Whale
Population: Above 150,000 worldwide. Status. Near-Threatened Species.
Trends: Decreasing due to hunting, climate change and industrial activities.
Wolves ...
For instance, an increasing number of deaths of Beluga whales (a species of white whale found predominantly in northern latitudes) have been associated with pollutants like PCBs.
With its distinctive, yellowish white coloration, the beluga or white whale is easy to identify. In overall shape it is similar to its close relative the narwhal, although it has no tusk.
Look For: A medium-size, boldly marked, black-and-white whale with a high straight dorsal fin.
Length: Body up to 32' long; up to 18,000 lb.
Habitat: Deep coastal waters.
It is a creature rarely found south of latitude 70°N. It is one of two species of white whale in the Monodontidae family (the other is the Beluga whale). It is possibly also related to the Irrawaddy dolphin.
Toothed whales are the more diverse of the two groups of cetaceans, with 71 species including porpoises, dolphins, river dolphins, sperm whales, beaked whales, and white whales.
One seal gives Polar Bear energy for 11 days
Occasionally eat bearded seals, harp seals, hooded seals.
Walruses, white whales, and narwhals rarely consumed.
They are uniformly gray in color though may appear brown in sunlight (the "Great White whale" of Melville's novel, if such an animal existed, was an albino, and white sperm whales have been reported in reality as well).
Predators
Killer whales, polar bears, taken by humans for subsistence purposes
Reproduction
Give birth to a single calf every 2-3 years
Other names
White whale, belukha whale, sea canary ...
 See also: Whale, Beluga, Beluga Whale, Narwhal, Squid
  
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