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Fishin' for Facts: Pygmy Right Whale

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Genus species: Caperea marginata

Pygmy right whale basics: (Because so little is known these whales, the following data is recorded from the few observations and/or few examined animals. Further research may change or modify this information.)

Pygmy right whales eat copepods.

A pygmy right whale’s head is about 1/4 its body size. The jaw line of the pygmy right whale is arched -- more than rorqual whales, less than other right whales. The pygmy right whale has throat grooves. These grooves or furrows are caused by the mandibular ridges. [And, according to one source, The tongue is "strangely feathered at tip." (Tinker)]

A pygmy right whale's falcated dorsal fin is small is found about two-thirds of the way back. It is about 15 cm (5.9 in) tall.

If you're lucky enough to get close to a pygmy right whale, you'd notice its pectoral flippers are darker than its sides.

The pygmy right whale’s back is gray or dark gray. The color lightens on the sides and the underside (belly) is white. The darker pectoral flippers stand out from the light color of the sides. The tongue and the inside of a pygmy right whale’s mouth are white. Sometimes a flash of white can be seen when the whale surfaces with its mouth open. Some pygmy right whales have "chevron-shaped" color patches above the flippers and in the middle of the body.

Little is known about the pygmy right whale's reproduction. Calves born in the spring months (southern hemisphere) from September to October. Calves are thought to be 3 to 3.5 m (9.8 to 11.4 ft) long when weaned.

Distribution Pygmy right whales are only found in the temperate waters of the southern hemisphere. (Generally between 30 to 60° SL. ) It has been seen around Tasmania, New Zealand, southern Australia, South Africa, southeast and southwest Indian Ocean, western and eastern Pacific, and various islands in the southern ocean.

The pygmy right whale is the smallest baleen whale and, considered by many, the rarest baleen whale. So rare, in fact, only a few hundred have been identified at sea. And, only a few dozen have been examined.

There are many unanswered questions about these small whales. One question is where the pygmy right whale fits within the baleen whale families. In the past, it has been classified (or grouped) with the right whales - the Balaenidae Family. However, it shares characteristics with whales in the Balaenopteridae Family, also known as rorquals. In fact, at sea the pygmy right whale is very difficult to identify because it looks so much like a minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).

Although the pygmy right whale has an arched or curved jaw line like the right whale and bowhead, it also has a dorsal fin and throat grooves - more like a rorqual. There are some other physical differences that make it more like a rorqual than right whale.

Is it a right whale? Is it a rorqual? Or, should it have its own unique family? In recent years, scientists have placed it in its own group, the Family Neobalaenidae. This family is within the "superfamily" Balaenoidea.

Pygmy right whales family tree looks like this: Order Cetacea; Suborder Mysticeti; Superfamily Balaenoidea; Family Neobalaenidae; Genus species: Caperea marginata

[NOTE: Scientific classification isn’t something nature created. It’s a tool scientists use to try to put a little logic into nature to make it easier to study organisms like plants and animals. Because of its shared characteristics with two different whale groups the pygmy right whale is an interesting example of the challenges scientists have when trying to trace an animal’s family tree. To learn more go to our Scientific Names page]

The pygmy right whale’s blow is small and difficult to see. And, unlike the spectacular leaps of the humpback whale, the pygmy right whale doesn’t seem to do many, if any jumps. This has has lead some to describe it as "unspectacular." Because they’re so rare and inconspicuous, the pygmy right whale populations were unaffected by whaling efforts.

Human interaction: Due to the rarity of the pygmy right whale it has not been, nor is it currently, hunted. Although, incidental mortality may result from netting operations in South Africa.

The pygmy right whale is listed as: Lower Risk/least concern by the IUCN.

Wondering where we find our information? Here are a few of our resources for this article:

Tinker, Spencer Wilkie, Whales of the World, Honolulu, Bess Press, 1988.