Variation in a color pattern of white patch on the flippers of North Pacific common minke whales: Potential application for their interoceanic difference.

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  • NAKAMURA Gen
    Laboratory of Cetacean Biology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Institute of Cetacean Research
  • KADOWAKI Ichiro
    Laboratory of Cetacean Biology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Metawater Co., Ltd.
  • NAGATSUKA Shouka
    Laboratory of Cetacean Biology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology eXmotion Co., Ltd.
  • FUJISE Yoshihiro
    Institute of Cetacean Research
  • KISHIRO Toshiya
    National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries
  • KATO Hidehiro
    Laboratory of Cetacean Biology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 北太平洋産ミンククジラの胸鰭白斑形状～海域間差異と系群比較への応用の可能性～

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Abstract

We investigated growth related changes, sex-based differences, and variation in the white flipper patches of 240 North Pacific minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Previously reported photographic data of North Atlantic minke whales (n=13) were also used for interoceanic comparison. In the North Pacific specimens the size of the white patch was larger in males (33.8%) than in females (31.8%). The relative area of the white patch decreased during development, and tended to be larger in the males. The relative length of white patch to flipper length (33.4%) and area of the white to flipper area (38.8%) in North Pacific specimens were significantly smaller than the corresponding length (40.7%) and area (55.5%) in North Atlantic specimens. Although the proximal boundary contour of the white patch was straight in North Atlantic specimens, it was meandering in North Pacific specimens. The findings in this study suggest that the morphology of the white flipper patch can be applicable to the elucidation of common minke whale speciation.

Journal

  • La mer

    La mer 52 (3), 31-47, 2014-09-25

    The Japanese-French Oceanographic Society

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