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Balaenopteridae:
Rorquals are the largest group of baleen whales, with nine species in two genera. They include the largest animal that has ever lived, the Blue Whale, which can reach 150 tonnes, two others that easily pass 50 tonnes, and even the smallest of the group, the Northern Minke Whale, reaches 9 tonnes. Rorquals take their name from the Norwegian word röyrkval, meaning "furrow whale". All members of the family have a series of longitudinal folds of skin running from below the mouth back to the navel (except the Sei Whale, which has shorter grooves). These are understood to allow the mouth to expand immensly when feeding. "Minke" is named after a Norwegian or German whaling gunner named Meincke, who, in the early part of the 20th century shot a Northern Minke Whale mistaking it for a Blue. |
