Balaenopteridae
Sign in to saveRorquals () are the largest group of baleen whales, comprising the family Balaenopteridae, which contains nine extant species in two genera. They include the largest animal ever known to have lived, the blue whale, which can reach , and the fin whale, which reaches ; even the smallest of the group, the northern minke whale, reaches .
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Rorquals are the largest group of baleen whales, made up of nine species in two genera, and they include the blue whale—the biggest animal ever known to exist. These whales matter because they represent the extreme upper limit of animal size on Earth, with even their smallest member, the northern minke whale, being impressively large.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderCetacea
- FamilyBalaenopteridae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Distribution and habitat
- Feeding habits
- Taxonomy
- Extant species
- Fossil genera
- Alternative generic taxonomy for living rorquals
- References
- Notes
- Sources
- External links
Rorquals () are the largest group of baleen whales, comprising the family Balaenopteridae, which contains nine extant species in two genera. They include the largest animal ever known to have lived, the blue whale, which can reach , and the fin whale, which reaches ; even the smallest of the group, the northern minke whale, reaches .
Rorquals take their name from French , which derives from the Norwegian word : the first element originated from the Old Norse name for this type of whale, , probably related to the Norse word for "red", and the second from the Norse word hvalr meaning "whale" in general. The family name Balaenopteridae is from the type genus, Balaenoptera.