WoRMS taxon details
Balaenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828
137088 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:137088)
accepted
Species
Balaenoptera alba Giglioli, 1870 · unaccepted (synonym)
Balaenoptera arctica Temminck, 1841 · unaccepted (synonym)
Balaenoptera iwasi Gray, 1846 · unaccepted (synonym)
Balaenoptera laticeps Gray, 1846 · unaccepted (synonym)
Balaenoptera schlegelii Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880 · unaccepted (synonym)
Balaenoptera schlegellii Dabbene, 1902 · unaccepted (synonym)
Balena rostrata Rudolphi, 1822 · unaccepted (synonym)
Belaenoptera schlegeli Lahille, 1899 · unaccepted (synonym)
Pterobalaena alba Giglioli, 1874 · unaccepted (synonym)
Pterobalaena schlegeli Tomilin, 1957 · unaccepted (synonym)
Pterobalaena schlegeli alba Tomilin, 1957 · unaccepted (synonym)
Sibbaldius schlegelii Gray, 1864 · unaccepted (synonym)
- Subspecies Balaenoptera borealis borealis Tomilin, 1946
- Subspecies Balaenoptera borealis schlegelii Tomilin, 1946
marine, terrestrial
Lesson, R. P. (1828). Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des mammifères et des oiseaux décoverts depuis 1788 jusqu'a nos jours. 442pp., available online at https://books.google.be/books?id=A5g-AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-PT&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=snippet&q=Globicephala%5C&f=false
page(s): 342-343 [details]
page(s): 342-343 [details]
Note Coast of Holstein near Gromitz,...
From editor or global species database
Type locality Coast of Holstein near Gromitz, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. [details]
Distribution semi-cosmopolitan
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean
Distribution semi-cosmopolitan [details]
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details]
Fordyce, E.; Perrin, W.F. (2025). World Cetacea Database. Balaenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137088 on 2025-07-06
Date
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Nomenclature
original description
Lesson, R. P. (1828). Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des mammifères et des oiseaux décoverts depuis 1788 jusqu'a nos jours. 442pp., available online at https://books.google.be/books?id=A5g-AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-PT&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=snippet&q=Globicephala%5C&f=false
page(s): 342-343 [details]
basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
page(s): 342-343 [details]
basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Ecology
ecology source
Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. <em>Scientific Data.</em> 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4 [details]
Other
context source (PeRMS)
Reyes, J. (2009). Ballenas, delfines y otros cetáceos del Perú. Una fuente de información. <em>Lima- Perú. Squema-Ediciones.</em> 160 pp. [details]
additional source Carwardine, M., E. Hoyt, R. E. Fordyce and P. Gill. 1998. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. Time-Life Books. Nature Company Guides, USA. 288 p. [details]
additional source Linkletter, L. E. (1977). A checklist of marine fauna and flora of the Bay of Fundy. <em>Huntsman Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews, N.B.</em> 68: p. [details]
additional source Mead, J. G.; Brownell, R. L. Jr. (2005). Cetacea. <em>In Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.</em> 723--743., available online at http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/ [details]
additional source Rice, D. W. (1998). Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. <em>Society for Marine Mammalogy Special Publication.</em> 4., available online at http://www.marinemammalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MarineMammalsOfTheWorld.pdf [details]
additional source Hershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of Living Whales. <em>Bulletin of the United States National Museum.</em> (246): 1-259., available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.246 [details]
additional source Jefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam. [details]
additional source IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, available online at http://www.iucnredlist.org [details]
additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
additional source Perrin, W.F.; Würsig, B.; Thewissen, J.G.M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Second edition. Academic Press: London. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9. xxix, 1316 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> pp. 431-554. [details]
additional source Schmidly, D. J. and B. Würsig. 2009. Mammals (Vertebrata: Mammalia) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1343–1352 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]
additional source Carwardine, M., E. Hoyt, R. E. Fordyce and P. Gill. 1998. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. Time-Life Books. Nature Company Guides, USA. 288 p. [details]
additional source Linkletter, L. E. (1977). A checklist of marine fauna and flora of the Bay of Fundy. <em>Huntsman Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews, N.B.</em> 68: p. [details]
additional source Mead, J. G.; Brownell, R. L. Jr. (2005). Cetacea. <em>In Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.</em> 723--743., available online at http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/ [details]
additional source Rice, D. W. (1998). Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. <em>Society for Marine Mammalogy Special Publication.</em> 4., available online at http://www.marinemammalscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MarineMammalsOfTheWorld.pdf [details]
additional source Hershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of Living Whales. <em>Bulletin of the United States National Museum.</em> (246): 1-259., available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.246 [details]
additional source Jefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam. [details]
additional source IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, available online at http://www.iucnredlist.org [details]
additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
additional source Perrin, W.F.; Würsig, B.; Thewissen, J.G.M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Second edition. Academic Press: London. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9. xxix, 1316 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> pp. 431-554. [details]
additional source Schmidly, D. J. and B. Würsig. 2009. Mammals (Vertebrata: Mammalia) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1343–1352 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Holotype Skeleton in Berlin Museum, originally described and figured by Rudolphi in 1822 as Balaena rostrata, then as the "rorqual du nord" by Cuvier (1823). Stranded Feb. 21, 1819. [details]IUCN Red List Category Endangered (EN) [details]
Morphology Distinguishing characteristics: Blow readily visible-6m (20'0 straight column, less dense than fin whale. Curved dorsal fin mid-back. Colour is slate grey, occasional round scars. [details]
Type locality Coast of Holstein near Gromitz, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. [details]
Unreviewed
Diet euphausiids, copepods, amphipods, small fish, squid [details]Dimensions Length: male 42-60 1/2' (12.8-18.5 m), female 44-69' (13.4-21 m), at birth 15' (4.6 m) [details]
Distribution semi-cosmopolitan [details]
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; East Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean; Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details]
Habitat offshore [details]
Habitat mostly in open ocean [details]
Predators None [details]
Reproduction Calving: Winter in unknown localities; Weaning: 7 months [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Afrikaans | seiwalvis | [details] |
| Bulgarian | Сейвалseyvаl | [details] |
| Catalan | balena del nord | [details] |
| Czech | pletvák severný | [details] |
| Danish | sejhval | [details] |
| Dutch | nordsche vinvischnoordse vinvis | [details] |
| English | sei whalesardine whaleRudolph's rorqualpollack whalenorthern rorqualflatbackfish whaledike whale | [details] |
| French | rorqual de Rudolphbaleine noire | [details] |
| German | Seiwal | [details] |
| Hebrew | לויתן צפוני | [details] |
| Icelandic | sandereydur | [details] |
| Italian | balenottera boreale | [details] |
| Japanese | イワシクジラkaguo kuziraiwasikuziraiwashi kujira | [details] |
| Korean | bori-gorae | [details] |
| Lithuanian | seivalas | [details] |
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Βορειοφάλαινα | [details] |
| Norwegian | seihvalseichval | [details] |
| Norwegian Bokmål | seihval | [details] |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | seikval | [details] |
| Polish | sejwal | [details] |
| Russian | сейвалseivalsaidianoi kitivasevyi polosatikivasevyi kit | [details] |
| Slovenian | zajval | [details] |
| Spanish | seihualrorqual nortenororqual del norterorcual de Rudolphirorcual borealballena seiballena borealballena boba | [details] |
| Swedish | sejval | [details] |
| Thai | plawan klaebkhribdam | [details] |
| Turkish | sey balinası | [details] |
| Ukrainian | СейвалСайдяний китівасевий кит | [details] |
| Welsh | morfil asgellog sei | [details] |
Marine Life Information Network - UK
To Barcode of Life (7 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication) (from synonym Pterobalaena schlegeli alba Tomilin, 1957)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (12 publications) (from synonym Sibbaldius schlegelii Gray, 1864)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (222 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (38 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera arctica Temminck, 1841)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (5 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera alba Giglioli, 1870)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (53 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera laticeps Gray, 1846)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (7 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera schlegelii Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880)
To Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Balaenoptera borealis)
To GenBank (235 nucleotides; 129 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Endangered)
To NMNH Extant Collection (MMP USNM 239142 Balaenoptera borealis Skeleton A)
To PESI
To ITIS
To Barcode of Life (7 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication) (from synonym Pterobalaena schlegeli alba Tomilin, 1957)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (12 publications) (from synonym Sibbaldius schlegelii Gray, 1864)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (222 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (38 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera arctica Temminck, 1841)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (5 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera alba Giglioli, 1870)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (53 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera laticeps Gray, 1846)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (7 publications) (from synonym Balaenoptera schlegelii Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880)
To Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Balaenoptera borealis)
To GenBank (235 nucleotides; 129 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Endangered)
To NMNH Extant Collection (MMP USNM 239142 Balaenoptera borealis Skeleton A)
To PESI
To ITIS
