Mammalia - Cetacea - Balaenopteridae

Alternative combination: Balaena physalus

Invalid subtaxa: Balaena antiquorum Fischer 1829, Balaena boops Linnaeus 1758, Balaena sulcata Neill 1811, Balaena sulcata arctica Schlegel 1841 [invalid subgroup], Balaenoptera antiquorum Gray 1846, Balaenoptera arctica Schlegel 1841 [invalid subgroup], Balaenoptera blythi Anderson 1879, Balaenoptera boops Linnaeus 1758, Balaenoptera brasiliensis Gray 1846, Balaenoptera copei Elliot 1901, Balaenoptera gibbar Lacepede 1804, Balaenoptera patachonica Burmeister 1865, Balaenoptera patachonicha Burmeister 1865, Balaenoptera physalus quoyi Fisher 1829, Balaenoptera quoyi Fisher 1829, Balaenoptera rorqual Lacepede 1804, Balaenoptera velifera Scammon and Cope 1869, Balaenoptera velifera copei Elliot 1901, Benedenia knoxii Gray 1864, Physalus antiquorum Fischer 1829, Physalus brasiliensis Gray 1846, Physalus duguidii Gray 1864, Physalus fasciatus Gray 1850, Physalus patachonicus Burmeister 1866, Swinhoia chinensis Gray 1868

Full reference: C. Linnaeus. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae (Stockholm) 1-823

Belongs to Balaenoptera according to O. Thomas 1911

Sister taxa: Balaenoptera brevicauda, Balaenoptera cephalus, Balaenoptera davidsonii, Balaenoptera fasciata, Balaenoptera floridana, Balaenoptera minutis, Balaenoptera ryani, Balaenoptera sursiplana, Balaenoptera taiwanica

Subtaxa: Balaenoptera patachonicha tschudii

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Ecology: aquatic suspension feeder

Average measurements (in mm): humerus length 530.0, scapula 422.2 x 370.0

Estimated body mass: 70.2 tons based on humerus length