minke whale
Quick Summary
A minke whale is a small, gray-to-black baleen whale with a whitish underside and a narrow, pointed snout. There are two main types: the common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) found in the Northern Hemisphere, and the southern minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) found in the Southern Hemisphere. The dwarf minke whale is considered a small form or subspecies of the common minke whale, found in the Southern Hemisphere and reaching about 26.5 feet (8 meters) in length. Minke whales are filter feeders, consuming small marine organisms like krill, copepods, plankton, and small fish. Baleen whales, including minke whales, use baleen plates in their mouths to trap food from the water.123
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