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Caperea marginata (Pygmy right whale)
rightdwergnoordkaper [Afrikaans]
Life
>
Eukaryotes >
Opisthokonta >
Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia >
Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) >
Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost
fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia
(terrestrial vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Synapsida (mammal-like reptiles) > Therapsida > Theriodontia
> Cynodontia > Mammalia (mammals)
> Placentalia (placental mammals) >
Laurasiatheria > Ferungulata > Cetartiodactyla (even-toed ungulates and
cetaceans) > Whippomorpha > Cetacea (whales, dolphins and
porpoises) > Family: Neobalaenidae
This is the smallest of the baleen whales,
having a length of about 5 metres and a weight of around 4 500kg. It
has a small triangular dorsal fin, set back towards the tail, and
has throat grooves. Colouration is a deep blue grey that lightens
towards towards the belly side.
Little is know of these scarcely seen animals.
Text by Derek Ohland
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