Balaenoptera brydei
Dublin Core
Title
Balaenoptera brydei
Subject
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetacea
Family : Balaenopteridae
Genus : Balaenoptera
Species : Balaenoptera brydei
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetacea
Family : Balaenopteridae
Genus : Balaenoptera
Species : Balaenoptera brydei
Common name/ vernacular name
Common Bryde's Whale
Common Bryde's Whale
Description
List of country
Bryde’s whales are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and off the coast of Ethiopia in warm temperate and subtropical waters. Populations exist mainly in warmer waters (~20°C). They are not migratory, but they do move between inshore to offshore waters to follow food.
Bryde’s whales are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and off the coast of Ethiopia in warm temperate and subtropical waters. Populations exist mainly in warmer waters (~20°C). They are not migratory, but they do move between inshore to offshore waters to follow food.
Habitat and Ecology
Bryde’s whales, Balaenoptera edeni, feed almost exclusively on pelagic fish (pilchard, mackerel, herring, and anchovies), pelagic crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, and lobsters), and cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish). The Bryde’s whale consumes whatever shoaling prey is available and often exploits the activities of other predators, swimming through and engulfing the fish they have herded. They are therefore frequently found in areas of high fish abundance, along with seabirds, seals, sharks, and other cetaceans.
Bryde’s whales, Balaenoptera edeni, feed almost exclusively on pelagic fish (pilchard, mackerel, herring, and anchovies), pelagic crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, and lobsters), and cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish). The Bryde’s whale consumes whatever shoaling prey is available and often exploits the activities of other predators, swimming through and engulfing the fish they have herded. They are therefore frequently found in areas of high fish abundance, along with seabirds, seals, sharks, and other cetaceans.
Morphology/ physical description
Bryde’s whales are dark gray in color on the dorsal side with a yellowish white ventral side. They are the second smallest rorqual with an average length of 12 m, although the female is usually about 0.3 m longer than the male. Bryde’s whales have two blowholes located on the top of the head. Bryde’s whales are often confused with sei whales; however, the Bryde’s whale has three parallel ridges in the area between the blowholes and the tip of the head.
Bryde’s whales are dark gray in color on the dorsal side with a yellowish white ventral side. They are the second smallest rorqual with an average length of 12 m, although the female is usually about 0.3 m longer than the male. Bryde’s whales have two blowholes located on the top of the head. Bryde’s whales are often confused with sei whales; however, the Bryde’s whale has three parallel ridges in the area between the blowholes and the tip of the head.
Species status / threats
Bryde’s whale populations are exposed to a variety of stressors and threats, including vessel strikes, ocean noise, and whaling outside the United States.
Bryde’s whale populations are exposed to a variety of stressors and threats, including vessel strikes, ocean noise, and whaling outside the United States.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Least Concern
Least Concern
Conservation status/action
Minimizing the effects of vessel disturbance, noise, and other types of human effects, Responding to stranded Bryde’s whales, Educating the public about Bryde’s whales and the threats they face.
Minimizing the effects of vessel disturbance, noise, and other types of human effects, Responding to stranded Bryde’s whales, Educating the public about Bryde’s whales and the threats they face.
Creator
Balaenoptera brydei Olsen, 1913
Source
Publisher
Intan Rabitah Mustafa
Contributor
Intan Rabitah Mustafa
Language
English
Collection
Citation
Balaenoptera brydei Olsen, 1913, “Balaenoptera brydei,” BIDARA, accessed February 4, 2026, https://bidara.uthm.edu.my/items/show/32.