Antarctic minke whale (scientific name: Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is also known as Antarctic minke whale. New mitochondrial DNA tests have found that Antarctic minke whales are independent species from minke whales. This test also determined that minke whales are the closest relatives of Antarctic minke whales, so the Antarctic minke whale branch is valid. Among the baleen whales, only minke whales are smaller than them.
Antarctic minke whales hunt alone or in groups. A hunting group consists of 2-4 individuals, and the group members are relatively free to move. Compared with open waters, they seem to gather more in closed territories. In order to open a vent in the ice, Antarctic baleen whales often use their beaks to break through a few centimeters of ice. The distance between two adjacent vents on the ice is generally 200-300 meters. It is said that this species jumps on the water surface to avoid hitting sailing ships. However, they are also notorious for their curiosity. As the type of baleen whale that most frequently approaches anchored ships, their escape behavior is not as common as being found on floating ice. Antarctic baleen whales swim fast and can accelerate to 20 kilometers per hour. Generally, they dive for 2-6 minutes, stay on the water for one minute, breathe 5-8 times, and dive for up to 20 minutes. The most unusual thing about them compared to other baleen whales is that most Antarctic minke whales migrate in summer and winter, and a few stay in Antarctic waters all year round.
Like the pygmy whale, the Antarctic minke whale has a gestation period of 10 months, and then gives birth to a 2.7-meter-long calf. The calves stay with their mothers for up to 2 years, nursing for 3 to 6 months. In the 1950s to 1970s, surveys of a group of the same age group found that they reached sexual maturity at a younger age, from an average of 11 years to about 7 years. Female whales are responsible for the birth, care and protection of the calves, and males do not provide parental care. Like their close relatives, minke whales, the milk of mother whales contains lactose and several oligosaccharides, some of which have never been found in other mammals, which can enhance the immunity of newborn whales.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the Antarctic minke whale as a "data deficient" species. However, there is evidence that their population has declined by about 60% between 1978 and 2004. If this decline is temporary, they will be classified as a "low-risk species", and if it is an actual decline, they will be classified as "endangered species". The projected significant decline in Antarctic sea ice extent could significantly affect krill populations and Antarctic minke whale populations that rely on krill for food. The last official count of Antarctic minke whales was completed in the 1980s, when the population was 860,000. As of 2007, there may be only 430,000 Antarctic minke whales left.
Listed in the 2021 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ver 3.1 - Near Threatened (NT).
Protect wildlife and eliminate game.
Maintaining ecological balance is everyone's responsibility!
Similar Animals
The porpoise (Phocoena phocoena in Latin), also known as porpoise, is the most common toothed whale in the North and Baltic Seas.Porpoises prefer calmer waters at a medium depth of about 20 meters near the coast, but occasionally swim deeper into the ocean.Porpoises feed almost exclusively on fish,...
Tucuxi dolphin (scientific name: Sotalia fluviatilis) is also known as tucuxi in English. There is no subspecies.Although they may let ships approach, most Tucuxi dolphins are wary of ships. They may ride on the waves caused by passing ships, but will not perform bow riding. Often seen peeping, tail...
Haviside's dolphin (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) is called Haviside's dolphin in foreign language, and has no subspecies.Haviside's dolphin is cautious by nature and sometimes quite shy. It is rare to see them jumping, but they have been known to leap more than 2 meters o...
Chilean dwarf dolphin (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus eutropia) is also known as Chilean Dolphin and Black dolphin in foreign languages. There is no subspecies.Little is known about the Chilean dwarf dolphin, but it is generally believed that this species of dolphin is cautious by nature; it rarel...
The spotted beaked dolphin is the common name of Commerson's dolphin (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus commersonii), also known as Commerson's dolphin in English, and has two subspecies.Spotted beaked dolphins usually live in groups of 1 to 3, and there are also large groups of more than 100...
New Zealand black and white dolphins (scientific name: Cephalorhynchus hectori) are called Hector's Dolphin and Dolphin in foreign languages. There are two subspecies.New Zealand black and white dolphins usually gather in small groups of 2-10. These small groups sometimes temporarily unite to fo...
Irrawaddy dolphin (scientific name: Orcaella brevirostris), foreign name Irrawaddy dolphin, no subspecies.Irrawaddy dolphins are social animals, usually 3 to 6 in groups, the social behavior of group members occurs within and outside the group, and they also swim with other groups. When Irrawaddy do...
Long-finned pilot whale (scientific name: Globicephala melas) is also known as Atlantic pilot whale and black round-headed whale. There are two subspecies.Long-finned pilot whales are a group of organisms that like to live in cold salt water areas with a temperature of 13-30℃. The diving depth is 3...
Email: jsset#163.com (change # to @) Please indicate your purpose of visit! Guangdong ICP No. 2022053326 XML| map| Chinese
