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Baleen whales (/ b ə ˈ l iː n /), also known as whalebone whales, are marine mammals of the parvorder Mysticeti in the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises), which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their mouths to sieve planktonic creatures from the water.
Baleen whales are cetaceans that filter food from water using keratin plates called baleen. Learn about their evolution, distribution, behavior, and conservation from Britannica's experts.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) Blue whales are thought to be the largest animal ever to live on the Earth. They grow up to 100 feet long and can weigh almost 200 tons.
- Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) The fin whale is the second-largest animal in the world, with a mass greater even than any dinosaur. Despite their size, these are fast, streamlined whales that sailors nicknamed "the greyhounds of the sea."
- Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis) Sei (pronounced "say") whales are among the fastest whale species. They are streamlined animals with dark backs and white undersides and curved dorsal fins.
- Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) The Bryde's (pronounced "broodus") whale is named for Johan Bryde, who built the first whaling stations in South Africa.
Learn about baleen, the filtering mechanism of 14 species of large whales that live in the ocean. Find out how baleen is made, how it works, and how it differs among whale families.
May 31, 2024 · Learn about the blue whale, the largest animal ever to have lived, a species of baleen whale that feeds on krill and lives in all oceans. Find out how it is endangered, how it communicates, and how it reproduces.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Baleen is the series of fringed plates hanging in right whales' mouths that are used to strain seawater for food. Until the early 1900's, right whales were heavily hunted primarily for their fatty blubber, which could be burned in oil lamps or made into soap.
Learn about baleen, the filtering system of 14 species of large whales, such as blue, bowhead, right, humpback, minke and gray whale. Find out how baleen is made, how it works, and how it differs among whale families.
