The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is a baleen whale, one of three species of right whale, the other two are the North Pacific Right Whale and the North Atlantic Right Whale both of which are critically endangered. Southern Right Whales are found throughout colder waters of the southern hemisphere usually feeding quite close to shore. The Right ...more ↓
The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is a baleen whale, one of three species of right whale, the other two are the North Pacific Right Whale and the North Atlantic Right Whale both of which are critically endangered. Southern Right Whales are found throughout colder waters of the southern hemisphere usually feeding quite close to shore. The Right Whale is a very large, muscular whale weighing far more than other whales of a similar length.
Length around 60 ft (18 m)
Weight 60,0000-160,000 lb (27,000-72,000 kg)
Right whales feed on small prey such as copepods, fish larvae, and pteropods. Right whales feed using a technique called skim feeding. The whale swims slowly at the surface with its mouth open allowing the water to flow through its long fine baleen plates. As with much smaller filter feeders, any small prey in the water will become trapped in the baleen.
A conspicuous feature of all three species of Right Whale are the white patches, called callosities found on the head. These patches are formed by colonies of whale lice or cyamids. Each individual whale has a unique pattern of these callosities and researchers can tell one animal apart by photographing the head.
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