Definition: A rorqual describes a baleen whale that has a dorsal fin and throat pleats, or grooves, that extend from the whale’s lower lip past its flippers. When the whale is feeding, the throat pleats expand to allow it to gulp in huge amounts of prey, along with salt water, which is filtered out through the baleen.
There are 8 species of rorquals, and they are all in the Suborder Mysticeti and Family Balaenopteridae:
- Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
- Fin whale (Balenoptera physalus)
- Northern (Common) minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
- Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
- Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
- Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni)
- Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai)
- Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Examples:
One species of rorqual is the minke whale, which is found in oceans worldwide.
