Mammalia | 
Cetartiodactyla | 
Balaenopteridae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Pelagic; depth range 0 - 3000 m (Ref. 83346).  Tropical; 20°C -  ? (Ref. 75906); 90°N -   90°S, 180°W -   180°E			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Atlantic Ocean and Indo-Pacific.  Tropical and subtropical.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 1,550 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1394); max. published weight: 25.0 t (Ref. 1394)			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Depth range based on reported depth in Angola (Ref. 83346). Found both offshore, near the coast in many areas (Ref. 1394) and shelf waters (Ref. 122680).  Commonly in groups of 10 to 20 individuals on feeding grounds (Ref. 801).   They are active lunge feeders (Ref. 1394).  Known as 'gulpers,' feeding in separate events, often lunging at large schools of fish (Ref. 122680).  Feeds primarily on fish, but they also take invertebrates (Ref. 1394) like krill (Ref. 122680).  Oceanodromous (Ref. 75906).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
				Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood and M.A. Webber 1993 FAO species Identification Guide: Marine Mammals of the World. Rome, FAO. 320 p. + 587 figures. (Ref. 1394)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
				Fisheries: commercial			
			
			
				FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile | FishSource | Sea Around Us			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 1.3 - 9.2, mean 2 (based on 18026 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).					
				
						
						
			
									
						Price category  					
					
					Unknown.