Mammals of the WorldEden's Whale
Balaenoptera edeni
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Balaenopteridae
- Genus
- Balaenoptera
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Myanmar|India|Bangladesh|Thailand|Malaysia|Indonesia|Cambodia|Vietnam|China|Taiwan|Japan|Australia?|Papua New Guinea?|Solomon Islands?
- Realm
- Marine
Other names: Tropical Whale|Small-form Bryde's Whale|Sittang Whale
About this species
- Size
- Bryde's whale complex: about 12–15m; Eden's is the smaller form
- Habitat
- Coastal and inshore waters
- Range
- Possibly restricted to the Indo-Pacific
Eden's whale, also called the Sittang whale, is the smaller form of the Bryde's whale complex, a group of moderately sized rorquals that may be restricted to the Indo-Pacific. It is named for Sir Ashley Eden, a former British High Commissioner in Burma who helped obtain the type specimen, and the Sittang name refers to its type locality. The taxonomy of the group is poorly known: the two genetically distinct forms, the larger Bryde's whale and Eden's whale, differ in distribution, in preference for inshore or offshore water, and in size, and the scientific name Balaenoptera edeni is commonly used for both (Wikipedia, general account of the Bryde's whale complex).
Bryde's whales are baleen whales with twin blowholes and two rows of baleen plates and no teeth. Adults in the complex measure about 12 to 15 m, and the whole group ranks behind sei whales in size. Because Sri Lankan records were made before the group was split, sightings there are dealt with on the Bryde's Whale entry. Nationally Data Deficient (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012, listed as Bryde's whale).
Description: Wildlife of Sri Lanka guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)