SCIENTIFIC NAME
Eubalaena glacialis
DESCRIPTION
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) has a large head that takes up nearly a quarter of the length of its body. Right whales, which can grow up to 18 metres in length can be recognized by:
- their wide tail flukes and narrow tail stock, large flippers and lack of a dorsal fin;
- their skin is black and some individuals have white patches on the throat or belly;
- rough white patches of skin called callosities on their head, chin, and sometimes on the edge of their lower lips. Each whale's callosity pattern is distinctive, enabling scientists to recognize individual whales.
RANGE
Lower Bay of Fundy, east of Grand Manan Island, Roseway Basin between Browns and Baccaro banks
HABITAT
DIET
BEHAVIOUR
undefinedPRIMARY ECOSYSTEM ROLES
They feed on copepods and krill larvae by slowly swimming through patches of prey with their mouth open at or below the ocean’s surface, a behaviour known as “skimming.”
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