Bowhead whale

species of mammal

The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is an Arctic baleen whale, a right whale with a large, bow-shaped head that is up to 40% of its body length. The arched mouth is up to 10 feet (3 m) wide and 20 feet (6 m) deep. The eyes are very small and lips are huge. Bowheads live in pods, are rich in blubber (a subcutaneous layer 20-inch (50 cm) thick in places), and have 2 blowholes.

Balaena, Balaena mysticetus
Temporal range: Earliest Pleistocene-Present
Size comparison against an average human
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Suborder:
Family:
Balaenidae
Genus:
Balaena
Species:
B. mysticetus
Binomial name
Balaena mysticetus
Bowhead whale range

References

Other websites

Media related to Bowhead whale at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Balaena mysticetus at Wikispecies