Fin whale

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is a huge baleen whale. It is the second largest animal on Earth (the blue whale is the biggest). This whale is sometimes called the "greyhound of the sea" because of its fast swimming speed; it can swim up to 23 mph (37 km/hr) in short bursts. The fin whale is also called the finback, finner, razorback, common rorqual, and herring whale.

Fin whale
A fin whale surfacing in Greenland
Size compared to an average human
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1) (Europe)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Balaenopteridae
Genus:	Balaenoptera
Species:	B. physalus
Binomial name
Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
B. p. physalus B. p. quoyi
Fin whale range
Synonyms
List Balaena physalus Linnaeus, 1758 Balaena boops Linnaeus, 1758 Balaena antiquorum Fischer, 1829 Balaena quoyi Fischer, 1829 Balaena musculus Companyo, 1830 Balaenoptera rorqual Lacépède, 1804 Balaenoptera gibbar Lacépède, 1804 Balaenoptera mediterraneensis Lesson, 1828 Balaenoptera jubartes Dewhurst, 1834 Balaenoptera australis Gray, 1846 Balaenoptera patachonicus Burmeister, 1865 Balaenoptera velifera Cope, 1869 Physalis vulgaris Fleming, 1828 Rorqualus musculus F. Cuvier, 1836 Pterobalaena communis Van Beneden, 1857

Description

The fin whale is a streamlined whale that is found worldwide; it is most common in the North Atlantic. There are three separate populations of fin whales, one in the North Pacific, one in the North Atlantic, and one in the Southern Hemisphere; they do not interbreed. Many groups of fin whales migrate between feeding grounds and breeding grounds. This whale usually swims in pods of 3-7 whales but larger groups (up to 300 animals) may form at rich feeding grounds.

Diet and baleen

Fin whales are filter feeders that eat plankton (tiny crustaceans like krill and copepods) and small fish from the water. They have very fine grey-black baleen that traps very small particles of food. Each side of the upper jaw has 270-470 baleen plates.