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Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) 
AphiaID: 137092

Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Tetrapoda (Superclass) > Mammalia (Class) > Theria (Subclass) > Cetartiodactyla (Order) > Cetancodonta (Suborder) > Cetacea (Infraorder) > Mysticeti (Superfamily) > Balaenopteridae (Family) > Megaptera (Genus)
Status accepted
Record
status
 Checked by Taxonomic Editor
Rank Species
Parent Megaptera Gray, 1846
Synonymised
taxa
  Balaena allamack Gray, 1846 (synonym)
Balaena atlanticus Hurdis, 1897 (synonym)
Balaena boops Fabricius, 1780 (synonym)
Balaena gibbosa Gray, 1843 (synonym)
Balaena lalandii Fischer, 1829 (synonym)
Balaena longimana Rudolphi, 1832 (synonym)
Balaena nodosa Bonnaterre, 1789 (synonym)
Balaena novaeangliae Borowski, 1781 (basionym)
Balaena sulcata antarctica Schlegel, 1841 (synonym)
Balaenoptera antarctica Temminck, 1841 (synonym)
Balaenoptera astrolabe Pucheran, 1843 (synonym)
Balaenoptera australis Lesson, 1828 (synonym)
Balaenoptera capensis A. Smith, 1834 (synonym)
Balaenoptera leucopteron Lesson, 1842 (synonym)
Balaenoptera syncondylus A. Mueller, 1863 (synonym)
Kyphobalaena keporkak Van Beneden, 1868 (synonym)
Megaptera americana Gray, 1846 (synonym)
Megaptera antarctica Gray, 1846 (synonym)
Megaptera australis Iredale & Troughton, 1934 (synonym)
Megaptera bellicosa Cope, 1871 (synonym)
Megaptera boops Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880 (synonym)
Megaptera brasiliensis True, 1904 (synonym)
Megaptera braziliensis Cope, 1867 (synonym)
Megaptera burmeisteri Burmeister, 1866 (synonym)
Megaptera gigas Cope, 1865 (synonym)
Megaptera indica Gervais, 1883 (synonym)
Megaptera kusira Trouessart, 1904 (misspelling)
Megaptera kuzira Gray, 1850 (synonym)
Megaptera lalandii Gray, 1864 (synonym)
Megaptera longimana Gray, 1846 (synonym)
Megaptera longimana morei Gray, 1866 (synonym)
Megaptera longipinna Gray, 1846 (synonym)
Megaptera nodosa Bonnaterre, 1789 (synonym)
Megaptera nodosa Lahille, 1905 (synonym)
Megaptera nodosa bellicosa Elliot, 1904 (synonym)
Megaptera nodosa lalandii Tomilin, 1946 (synonym)
Megaptera nodosa nodosa Tomilin, 1946 (synonym)
Megaptera nodosa novaezealandiae Ivashin, 1958 (synonym)
Megaptera novaezelandiae Gray, 1864 (synonym)
Megaptera osphya Mead & Brownell, 2005 (misspelling)
Megaptera osphyia Cope, 1865 (synonym)
Megaptera poescop Gray, 1846 (synonym)
Megaptera versabilis Cope, 1869 (synonym)
Poescopia lalandii Gray, 1866 (synonym)
Rorqualus antarcticus F. Cuvier, 1836 (synonym)
Rorqualus australis Hamilton, 1837 (synonym)
Sources  original description: Borowski, G. H. (1781). Gemeinnüzzige[sic] Naturschichte des Tierreichs,.. G. L. Lange, Berlin and Stralsund.
page(s): 2(1):21 [details]


basis of record: van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS[details]

additional source: Mead, J. G. and R. L. Brownell, Jr. (2005). Cetacea. Pages 723--743 in Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp., available online at http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/ [details]

additional source: Rice, D. W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. Society for Marine Mammalogy Special Publication 4. [details]

additional source: Hershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of living whales. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 246:1--259. [details]

additional source: Jefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam. [details]

additional source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, available online at http://www.iucnredlist.org [details]

additional source: Perrin, W. F., B. Würsig and J. G. M. Thewissen. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press, Amsterdam. [details]

additional source: Clapham, P. J. and J. G. Mead. (1999). Megaptera novaeangliae. Mammalian Species 604:1--9. [details]

additional source: Stacey, P. J. and P. W. Arnold. (1999). Orcaella brevirostris. Mammalian Species 616:1--8. [details]

additional source: King, C. (2009). Terrestrial mammals (Chordata). In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp [details]

additional source: Schmidly, D. J. and B. Würsig. 2009. Mammals (Vertebrata: Mammalia) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1343–1352 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]

additional source: ITIS database, available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]

Vernacular
Names
 
Language   Name 
Afrikaans boggelwalvis  [details]
Aleut aliamak  [details]
Aleut alkhiamak  [details]
Aleut khi-tkhukkh  [details]
Catalan balena geperuda  [details]
Catalan lubarta  [details]
Chukot kaipokak uiiut  [details]
Czech keporkak  [details]
Czech keporkak dlouhoplautvý  [details]
Danish buckelhval  [details]
Danish pukkelhval  [details]
Danish stubhval  [details]
Dutch bultrug  [details]
Dutch langarmvinvisch  [details]
English bunch whale  [details]
English hump  [details]
English humpback whale  [details]
English hunch  [details]
English hunchback whale  [details]
French baleine à bosse  [details]
French baleine à taquet  [details]
French baleine tampon  [details]
French jubarte  [details]
French mégaptere  [details]
French rorqual du Cap  [details]
French rorqual keporkak  [details]
French rorqual noueux  [details]
German Buckelwal  [details]
German Knurrwal  [details]
German langhaendige Wal  [details]
German Pflockfisch  [details]
Icelandic hnufubakur  [details]
Icelandic skeljungur  [details]
Indonesian paus bongkok  [details]
Italian balena gobba  [details]
Italian megattera  [details]
Japanese zato kujira  [details]
Kalaallisut keporkak  [details]
Korean hog-deung-gorae  [details]
Latvian valzius  [details]
Lithuanian kuprotasis banginis  [details]
Malagasy trozona be trafo  [details]
Modern Greek (1453-) Μεγάπτερη  [details]
Modern Greek (1453-) Μεγάπτερη φάλαινα  [details]
Norwegian knölhval  [details]
Norwegian knølhval  [details]
Norwegian stor rorhval  [details]
Norwegian Bokmål knølhval  [details]
Norwegian Nynorsk knølkval  [details]
Polish długopłetwiec  [details]
Polish pletwal  [details]
Portuguese baleia jubarte  [details]
Portuguese baleia-corcunda  [details]
Portuguese jubarte  [details]
Russian dlinnorukyi polosatik  [details]
Russian gorbach  [details]
Russian gorbatyi kit  [details]
Russian veselyi kit  [details]
Russian горбатый кит  [details]
Slovenian kit grbavec  [details]
Southern Balochi abra  [details]
Spanish ambaqui  [details]
Spanish ballena cantora  [details]
Spanish ballena de aletas grandes  [details]
Spanish ballena jorobada  [details]
Spanish guabarte  [details]
Spanish gubarta  [details]
Spanish jibarte  [details]
Spanish jorobada  [details]
Spanish rorqual jorobado  [details]
Spanish yubarta  [details]
Swedish hnunfurbakur  [details]
Swedish knölval  [details]
Swedish puckelval  [details]
Turkish kambur balina  [details]
Ukrainian Горбань  [details]
Ukrainian Горбатий кит  [details]
Ukrainian Горбач  [details]
Ukrainian Кит горбатий  [details]
Welsh morfil cefngrwm  [details]
Yupik languages aghvesiiq  [details]
Yupik languages kaipokak  [details]
Environment marine
Distribution Antarctica [details]
Azores Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Comores [details]
European waters (ERMS scope) [details]
Greek Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Greenlandic Exclusive Economic Zone (from synonym) [details] [view taxon]
Gulf of Maine [details]
Gulf of Mexico [details]
Gulf of St. Lawrence [details]
Kenya [details]
Lamu [details]
Madagascar [details]
Mauritius [details]
Mediterranean Sea [details]
Mozambique [details]
New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
North West Atlantic [details]
Pacific Ocean [details]
Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Reunion [details]
Seychelles [details]
Somalia [details]
Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
St. Lawrence Estuary [details]
Subantarctic Waters [details]
Tanzania [details]
United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
World Oceans [details]
Links Marine Life Information Network - UK
To Barcode of Life (4 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (92 publications)
To Encyclopedia of Life
To GenBank (2321 nucleotides; 964 proteins)
To IUCN Red List
To Marine Species Identification Portal
To PESI
To ITIS
Notes  Diet: herring (Clupea harengus), sand lance (Ammodytes sp.) and other small fish, invertebrates (euphausiids) [details]

Dimensions: Length: male 36-57 1/2' (11-17.5 m), female 36-62 1/2' (11-19 m), at birth 15'+ (4.6 m+) [details]

Distribution: in all oceans [details]

Distribution: Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details]

Habitat: Inshore on feeding and calving grounds, but high seas in transit between them. [details]

Holotype: None in existence. Name based on the "baleine de la Nouvelle Angleterre" of Brisson (1756). [details]

IUCN Red List Category: subpopulation Arabian Sea humpback whale : Endangered (EN) [details]

IUCN Red List Category: Least Concern (LC) [details]

IUCN Red List Category: subpopulation Oceania humpback whale : Endangered (EN) [details]

Morphology: Distinguishing characteristics: colour in the northern hemisphere is dark with white belly and on flippers, but southern hemisphere whales have more white. Sensory knobs on head. Lifts tail when diving. Variably curved dorsal fin midback on a hump. "Knuckles" or bumps along tail stock of thin whales. Flippers may reach length of 4.5 m (15'). Individuals recognized by underside of flukes and body scars/markings.  [details]

Predators: Killer whale tooth marks evident on adults; calves probably taken. [details]

Reproduction: Calving: January to March in Caribbean; Weaning: one year [details]

Type locality: Coast of New England, U.S.A. [details]
Images 
Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2006-04-12 - author: Armin Rose
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-04-18 00:01:47

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2006-04-12 - author: Armin Rose
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:40:20

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2006-04-12 - author: Armin Rose
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-04-18 00:02:00

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2006-04-12 - author: Armin Rose
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-04-18 00:02:08

Megaptera novaeangliae - humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae - humpback whale
added on 2006-06-26 - author: Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) ()
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-04-18 00:02:17

Humpback whale
Humpback whale
added on 2006-07-24 - author: Armin Rose
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-04-18 00:02:26

Van Beneden & Gervais (1880, pl. 09)
Van Beneden & Gervais (1880, pl. 09)
added on 2008-06-02 - author: Delahaye in Van Beneden & Gervais (1880)
scan provided by VLIZ - Wetenschatten
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:21:53

Van Beneden & Gervais (1880, pl. 10 & 11)
Van Beneden & Gervais (1880, pl. 10 & 11)
added on 2008-06-02 - author: Delahaye in Van Beneden & Gervais (1880)
scan provided by VLIZ - Wetenschatten
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-04-18 00:02:46

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 20:59:26

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 20:59:41

Megaptera novaeangliae & Eubalaena australis
Megaptera novaeangliae & Eubalaena australis
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 20:59:55

Feeding humpback whales
Feeding humpback whales
added on 2009-03-11 - author: Michael Heithaus ()
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-03-11 17:06:48

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
added on 2009-05-02 - author: NOAA NMFS SWFSC PRD
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-05-02 00:22:24

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
added on 2009-05-02 - author: NOAA NMFS SWFSC PRD
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2009-05-02 00:37:10

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2010-06-10 - author: Collection VLIZ
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:00:15

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2010-06-10 - author: Collection VLIZ
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:00:30

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2010-06-10 - author: Collection VLIZ
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:00:43

Humpback whale surfacing
Humpback whale surfacing
added on 2011-02-10 - author: Hilary Moors ()
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:01:08

Humpback whale spyhopping
Humpback whale spyhopping
added on 2011-02-10 - author: Hilary Moors ()
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:01:31

Humpback whale fluke
Humpback whale fluke
added on 2011-02-10 - author: Hilary Moors ()
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:01:49

Humpback whale - dorsal fin
Humpback whale - dorsal fin
added on 2011-09-04 - author: Nozères, Claude
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:03:43

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2012-02-05 - author: VLIZ Collection
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:05:03

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2012-03-14 - author: VLIZ Collection
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:05:15

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2012-03-14 - author: VLIZ Collection
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:05:36

Megaptera novaeangliae
Megaptera novaeangliae
added on 2012-03-14 - author: VLIZ Collection
qualitystatus: checked by Perrin, William on 2012-08-27 21:05:50
LSID urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:137092
Taxonomic
Edit history
 
Date   action   by
2004-12-21 15:54:05Z  created  van der Land, Jacob
2008-08-20 11:25:36Z  checked  Perrin, William
  
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  Citation: Perrin, W. (2013). Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781). In: Perrin, W.F. (2013) World Cetacea Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137092 on 2013-05-19
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