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Balaenoptera physalus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Fin Whale

G3Vulnerable (G3G4) Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
VulnerableIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103352
Element CodeAMAGH01010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNVulnerable
CITESAppendix I
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderCetacea
FamilyBalaenopteridae
GenusBalaenoptera
COSEWICSC
Other Common Names
Finback Whale (EN) Rorcual Común (ES) Rorqual commun (FR)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1997-04-09
Edition Date2011-04-06
Edition AuthorsFrench, T. W., K. Willson, and G. Hammerson
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Widespread in Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern oceans; populations were greatly reduced by historical commercial whaling; approximately 102,000-122,000 remain from pre-exploitation levels of over 450,000; threatened by general deterioration of the marine ecosystem.
Range Extent Comments
Worldwide in temperate and polar waters, in several distinct breeding stocks. In the western North Atlantic, summers north to arctic Canada and Greenland, winters south to Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region. In the eastern North Pacific, summers north to the Chukchi Sea, winters north to California (IUCN 1991).
Threat Impact Comments
Populations in all oceans were greatly reduced by historical commercial whaling. Threatened by heavy metal pollution from dumped waste in the Mediterranean. Human exploitation of euphausiids in the southern ocean is a potential threat.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A large dark gray to brownish black baleen whale; narrow V-shaped rostrum has a prominent median ridge; dorsal fin is angled strongly rearward, located about one-third the body length forward from the fluke notch, and is followed by a distinct dorsal ridge that extends to the tail; throat has numerous longitudinal grooves; many individuals have a whitish chevron on each side of the back above the flippers; right lower lip and right front baleen are whitish, left lower lip is dark and remainder of baleen is streaked with yellowish white and bluish gray; flippers are fairly long and narrow; baleen is up to 72 cm long; two nostrils; grows to about 26.8 m, females reaching larger sizes than males (Leatherwood and Reeves 1983).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Differs from the blue whale in dorsal coloration (mottled blue-gray and without chevrons in blue whale), a V-shaped rather than a broad U-shaped rostrum, and a larger dorsal fin. Differs from the Bryde's whale in having a single median ridge on the rostrum rather than 3 ridges. Differs from the sei whale in asymmetrical lower lip coloration, mixed color baleen, and more throat grooves (56-100 vs. 32-60); dorsal fin of the fin whale is angled upward less strongly than in the sei whale (front edge more than 40 degrees in the latter); dorsal fin of fin whale tends to surface after the head does, rather than simultaneously with the head as in the sei whale; fin whale lacks the slightly downward-turned snout tip of the sei whale. (Leatherwood and Reeves 1983).

Habitat

Pelagic; usually found in largest numbers 25 miles or more from shore. In the western Atlantic, occurs mainly over continental shelf in summer, in water 50-100 fathoms deep (Katona et al. 1983). Young are born in the warmer waters of the lower latitudes.

Ecology

Travels singly, in pairs, or in pods of 6-7. May concentrate in areas of abundant food.

Reproduction

Mates in winter. Gestation lasts 11-12 months. Adult females bear 1 young every 2-3 years. Young are weaned at 6-8 months. Sexually mature at a minimum age of about 5-6 years in the western Atlantic. Life span may be 40-100 years.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3N
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS3NYes
QuebecS3Yes
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
New BrunswickS2Yes
Prince Edward IslandSNRYes
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
AlaskaS3Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
North CarolinaSNAYes
MaineSNRYes
DelawareSNAYes
New JerseyS1Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
Rhode IslandSNRNYes
VirginiaSNAYes
HawaiiSNRYes
New YorkS1Yes
OregonSNAYes
TexasS1Yes
MarylandS1Yes
MassachusettsS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsLarge - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
4.3 - Shipping lanesLarge - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useLarge - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
5.4 - Fishing & harvesting aquatic resourcesLarge - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.2 - Industrial & military effluentsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.6 - Excess energyPervasive - largeUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (2)
Alaska (2)
AreaForestAcres
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
SecurityTongass National Forest31,428
References (24)
  1. Agler, B. A., et al. 1993. Reproduction of photographically identified fin whales, <i>Balaenoptera physalus</i>, from the Gulf of Maine. J. Mammalogy. 74:577-587.
  2. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  3. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  4. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  5. Falklands Conservation. 2000. Falkland Islands wildlife. Falklands Conservation. http://www.falklands-nature.demon.co.uk/wildlife/chklst.html
  6. Folkens, P. 1984. The whale watcher's handbook. Doubleday Co., Inc., Garden City, NY 208 pp.
  7. Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 304 pp.
  8. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  9. Hebda, A.J. 2011. List of mammals of Nova Scotia (including synonyms used in the literature relating to Nova Scotia) (revision 2) 24 July 2011. Nova Scotia Museum Collections Unit, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 24 pp. Online. Available: https://naturalhistory.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/inline/images/names_and_synonyms_ver3.pdf
  10. IUCN (World Conservation Union). 1991. Dolphins, Porpoises and Whales of the World: the IUCN Red Data Book. M. Klinowska (compiler). IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, United Kingdom. viii + 429 pp.
  11. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  12. Katona, S. K., V. Rough, and D. T. Richardson. 1983. A Field guide to the whales, porpoises, and seals of the gulf of Maine and eastern Canada. Cape Cod to Newfoundland. Charles Scribner's Sons, N.Y. 255 pp.
  13. Leatherwood, S., and R. R. Reeves. 1983. The Sierra Club handbook of whales and dolphins. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco. 302 pp.
  14. Matthews, J.R. and C.J. Moseley (eds.). 1990. The Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species of North America. Volume 1. Plants, Mammals. xxiii + pp 1-560 + 33 pp. appendix + 6 pp. glossary + 16 pp. index. Volume 2. Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fishes, Mussels, Crustaceans, Snails, Insects, and Arachnids. xiii + pp. 561-1180. Beacham Publications, Inc., Washington, D.C.
  15. Meredith, G. N., and R. R. Campbell. 1988. Status of the fin whale, <i>Balaenoptera physalus</i>, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 102:351-368.
  16. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 1987. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Annual Report 1986/87.
  17. Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
  18. Pacheco, V., H. de Macedo, E. Vivar, C. Ascorra, R. Arana-Cardó, and S. Solari. 1995. Lista anotada de los mamíferos peruanos. Conservation International, Washington, DC.
  19. Ratnaswamy, M. J., and H. E. Winn. 1993. Photogrammetric estimates of allometry and calf production in fin whales, <i>Balaenoptera physalus</i>. J. Mammalogy 74:323-330.
  20. Rice, D. W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Society for Marine Mammalogy, Special Publication Number 4. ix + 231 pp.
  21. Ridgway, S. H., and R. J. Harrison. 1985. Handbook of marine mammals. Vol. 3. The sirenians and baleen whales. Academic Press, New York. 362 pp.
  22. Tershy, B. R. 1992. Body size, diet, habitat use, and social behavior of <i>Balaenoptera</i> whales in the Gulf of California. J. Mamm. 73:477-486.
  23. Tirira, D. 1999. Mamíferos del Ecuador. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.
  24. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.