Description:-
Bryde's Whale is currently included in a complex group known as the Bryde's whales. The identity and number of species in the "Bryde's Whale complex" is still unclear. There is an "ordinary" Bryde's Whale, with a worldwide distribution in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, which grows to about 14 m in length, and one or more smaller forms which tend to be more coastal in distribution. The taxonomic status of the smaller forms is unclear.
Whales closely resemble Sei whales, but have a number of distinctive characteristics. The body colour of Bryde's Whales is principally dark smoky grey above and white below, with the dark area extending down to include the throat grooves and flippers. The boundary between the dark and light pigmentation is diffuse. As in other balaenopterids, the rostrum is V-shaped but has three parallel ridges running longitudinally between the blowhole and rostral tip. The three lateral ridges are the most characteristic feature of Bryde's Whales
The head and blow usually appear before the dorsal fin, with a steeper angle of emergence at the surface than the similarly sized Sei Whale. The dorsal fin is up to 46 cm tall, sickle-shaped and pointed. It is located about one-third of the body length forward from the tail fluke notch. The head is about a quarter of the body length. The flukes are broad with rather straight posterior margins. The throat grooves extend to beyond the navel, in contrast to the Sei Whale where they do not reach the navel.
Bryde’s Whales are generally dark grey above. The throat and chin have some white. Some individuals have regions of light grey on each side, forward from the dorsal fin. Males grow to a length of 14 m, and females to 15.6 m. The weight is about 17 tons. Two forms exist in some areas, one coastal and one offshore. The offshore form is apparently slightly larger. Bryde’s Whales surface to breathe by rising steeply such that the head is exposed, and then roll over so that a long expanse of the back is visible. The spout of the Tropical Whale is a typical tall thin rorqual blow, around 4m high. Bryde's Whales are not gregarious and mostly swim alone or in pairs.
References:-
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