WoRMS taxon details
Balaenopteridae Gray, 1864
Physalinidae Gray, 1868 · unaccepted (synonym)
- Genus Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804
- Subfamily Balaenopterinae Gray, 1864
- Genus Megaptera Gray, 1846
- Subfamily Megapterinae Gray, 1864
- Genus Agaphelus Cope, 1868 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Balaenopteris Tomilin, 1957 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Balenoptera Duméril, 1806 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Balenopterus Cuvier, 1829 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Baloenoptera Cadenat, 1957 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (misspelling)
- Genus Belaenoptera Lahille, 1899 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Benedenia Gray, 1864 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Boops Gray, 1821 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Catoptera Rafinesque, 1815 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Cetoptera Rafinesque, 1815 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Cuvierus Gray, 1866 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Cyphobalaena Marschall, 1873 accepted as Megaptera Gray, 1846 (synonym)
- Genus Dactylaena Gray, 1874 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Dubertus Tomilin, 1957 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Eubalaenoptera Aclogue, 1900 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Fabricia Gray, 1866 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Flowerius Lilljeborg, 1867 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Kyphobalaena Eschricht, 1849 accepted as Megaptera Gray, 1846 (synonym)
- Subfamily Megapterina Gray, 1864 accepted as Megapterinae Gray, 1864 (basionym)
- Genus Mysticetus Wagler, 1830 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Ogmobalaena Eschricht, 1849 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Perqualus Gray, 1846 accepted as Megaptera Gray, 1846 (synonym)
- Genus Phylasus Duméril, 1806 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Physalis Fleming, 1822 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Physalus Gray, 1821 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Poescopia Gray, 1864 accepted as Megaptera Gray, 1846 (synonym)
- Genus Pterobalaena Eschricht, 1849 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Ptychocetus Gloger, 1842 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Rorqualus F. Cuvier, 1836 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (Synonym)
- Genus Rudolphius Gray, 1866 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Sibbaldius Flower, 1865 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Sibbaldus Gray, 1864 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Stenobalaena Gray, 1874 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
- Genus Swinhoia Gray, 1866 accepted as Balaenoptera Lacépède, 1804 (synonym)
marine, terrestrial
Not documented
Description This family contains the larges animals ever to live; all balaenopteroids have adult body lengths of over 7 m, but some are...
Description This family contains the larges animals ever to live; all balaenopteroids have adult body lengths of over 7 m, but some are much larger. The rorquals are streamlined animals (the humpback whale somewhat less than the others), with a series of long pleats extending from the snout tip to as far back as the navel on the ventral surface. Balaenopterids are fast and active lunge feeders; their morphology allows them to open their jaws very widely and distend their throats to take in huge mouthfuls of water during feeding. The baleen plates are of moderate length and fringe fineness. Density and fringe diameter vary among species, and along with plate number and width to length ratio, are diagnostic characters. Rorquals have dorsal fins (varying in size and shape) set beyond the midpoint of the back. The upper jaw has a relatively flat profile, a feature reflecting the structure of the skull. Within a given feature, differences among balaenopterids are often subtle variations on a theme, rather than class distinctions. Therefore, information on many features may be needed to distringuiish among them and reliance on a single character for identification is discouraged. <123> [details]
Fordyce, E.; Perrin, W.F. (2024). World Cetacea Database. Balaenopteridae Gray, 1864. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=136979 on 2024-11-10
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The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
basis of record
van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Jefferson, T.A.; Leatherwood, S.; Webber, M.A. (1993). Marine mammals of the world. <em>FAO Species identification guide.</em> FAO: Rome, Italy. ISBN 92-5-103292-0. VIII, 320 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source Jefferson, T.A.; Leatherwood, S.; Webber, M.A. (1993). Marine mammals of the world. <em>FAO Species identification guide.</em> FAO: Rome, Italy. ISBN 92-5-103292-0. VIII, 320 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Description This family contains the larges animals ever to live; all balaenopteroids have adult body lengths of over 7 m, but some are much larger. The rorquals are streamlined animals (the humpback whale somewhat less than the others), with a series of long pleats extending from the snout tip to as far back as the navel on the ventral surface. Balaenopterids are fast and active lunge feeders; their morphology allows them to open their jaws very widely and distend their throats to take in huge mouthfuls of water during feeding. The baleen plates are of moderate length and fringe fineness. Density and fringe diameter vary among species, and along with plate number and width to length ratio, are diagnostic characters. Rorquals have dorsal fins (varying in size and shape) set beyond the midpoint of the back. The upper jaw has a relatively flat profile, a feature reflecting the structure of the skull. Within a given feature, differences among balaenopterids are often subtle variations on a theme, rather than class distinctions. Therefore, information on many features may be needed to distringuiish among them and reliance on a single character for identification is discouraged. <123> [details]
