Minke whales : Study
Scientists have directly measured the hearing range of minke whales, discovering that the species can detect high-frequency sounds as high as 90 kilohertz (kHz), according to a new study.
- They are members of the baleen or “great” whale family and are the smallest of the rorquals.
- There are two recognized species of minke whales with partially overlapping ranges
- The Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and the Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis).
- Dwarf minke whales are an unnamed subspecies of the common minke whale that occurs almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.
- In addition the North Atlantic and North Pacific common minke whales also have separate sub-species designations (B. a. acutorostrata in the North Atlantic and B. a. scammoni in the North Pacific).
- Distribution: Minke whales are widely distributed through most tropical, temperate and polar regions from approximately 65°S to 80°N.
- Common minke whales are found in all ocean basins, with the dwarf minke whale subspecies more or less limited to the Southern Hemisphere.
- They feed most often in cooler waters at higher latitudes and can be found in both coastal/inshore and oceanic/offshore areas.
- IUCN Conservation status
- Common minke whale: Least concern
- Antarctic minke whale : Data deficient
