Other identification tools | SeaLifeBase

Non-fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Balaenopteridae rorquals, finback whales (See list of species below)

Select Ocean (marine/brackish) or Continent (freshwater):

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Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional)



10 species with fin ray counts including ? spines in dorsal and ? in anal fins (see list below)


Balaenoptera acutorostrata
[Northern minke whale]
No picture found

Balaenoptera bonaerensis
[Antarctic minke whale]


Balaenoptera borealis
[Sei whale]


Balaenoptera brydei
[Bryde's whale]


Balaenoptera edeni
[Eden's whale]


Balaenoptera musculus
[Blue whale]
No picture found

Balaenoptera omurai
[]


Balaenoptera physalus
[Fin whale]
No picture found

Balaenoptera ricei
[Rice’s whale]


Megaptera novaeangliae
[Humpback whale]
10 Species of Family Balaenopteridae
(rorquals, finback whales)
Sort by: Species Length
Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm)
Balaenoptera acutorostrata Northern minke whale Circumglobal 1070 TL
Balaenoptera bonaerensis Antarctic minke whale Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Oc 890 TL
Balaenoptera borealis Sei whale Circumglobal 1800 TL
Balaenoptera brydei Bryde's whale Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Oc 1560 TL
Balaenoptera edeni Eden's whale Atlantic Ocean and Indo-P 1550 TL
Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale North Atlantic and North 3300 TL
Balaenoptera omurai Indo-West Pacific
Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale Circumglobal except the A 2700 TL
Balaenoptera ricei Rice’s whale Western Central Atlantic
Megaptera novaeangliae Humpback whale Circumglobal. [Arabian S 1889.76 TL



Other identification tools in SeaLifeBase


Quick Identification
Identification keys
Identification by morphometrics
Identification by pictures:
          If you already know the Family, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to
Search SeaLifeBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to
Search SeaLifeBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the ecosystem.