座头鲸的英文介绍,急求,谢了
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The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, alts range in length from 12–16 metres (40–50 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The Humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water. Males proce a complex whale song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. The purpose of the song is not yet clear, although it appears to have a role in mating.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, Humpback Whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, Humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. The species' diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the spectacular bubble net fishing technique.
Like other large whales, the Humpback was and is a target for the whaling instry. Due to over-hunting its population fell by an estimated 90% before a whaling moratorium was introced in 1966. Stocks of the species have since partially recovered, however entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution also remain concerns. There are at least 70,000 humpback whales worldwide. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, Humpbacks are now sought out by whale-watchers, particularly off parts of Australia and the United States. On November 18, 2007 a Japanese fleet set off for the first time in decades to hunt the humpback in the South Pacific[2].
Humpback Whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family that includes the Blue Whale, the Fin Whale, the Bryde's Whale, the Sei Whale and the Minke Whale. The rorquals are believed to have diverged from the other families of the suborder Mysticeti as long ago as the middle Miocene.[3] However, it is not known when the members of these families diverged from each other.
Though clearly related to the giant whales of the genus Balaenoptera, the Humpback has been the sole member of its genus since Gray's work in 1846. More recently though, DNA sequencing analysis has indicated both the Humpback and the Gray Whale are close relatives of the Blue Whale, the world's largest animal. If further research confirms these relationships, it will be necessary to reclassify the rorquals.
The Humpback Whale was first identified as "baleine de la Nouvelle Angleterre" by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his Regnum Animale of 1756. In 1781, Georg Heinrich Borowski described the species, converting Brisson's name to its Latin equivalent, Balaena novaeangliae. Early in the 19th century Lacépède shifted the Humpback from the Balaenidae family, renaming it Balaenoptera jubartes. In 1846, John Edward Gray created the genus Megaptera, classifying the Humpback as Megaptera longpinna, but in 1932, Remington Kellogg reverted the species names to use Borowski's novaeangliae.[4] The common name is derived from their humping motion while swimming. The generic name Megaptera from the Greek mega-/μεγα- "giant" and ptera/πτερα "wing",[5] refers to their large front flippers. The specific name means "New Englander" and was probably given by Brisson e the regular sightings of Humpbacks off the coast of New England.[4]
Humpback Whales can easily be identified by their stocky bodies with obvious humps and black dorsal colouring. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles, which are actually hair follicles and are characteristic of the species. The tail flukes, which are lifted high in the dive sequence, have wavy rear edges.[6]
The long black and white tail fin, which can be up to a third of body length, and the pectoral fins have unique patterns, which enable indivial whales to be recognised.[7][8] Several suggestions have been made to explain the evolution of the Humpback's pectoral fins, which are proportionally the longest fins of any cetacean. The two most enring hypotheses are the higher maneuverability afforded by long fins, or that the increased surface area is useful for temperature control when migrating between warm and cold climates.
Humpbacks have 270 to 400 darkly coloured baleen plates on each side of the mouth. Ventral grooves run from the lower jaw to the umbilicus about halfway along the bottom of the whale. These grooves are less numerous (usually 16–20) and consequently more prominent than in other rorquals. The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces, but has disappeared by the time the flukes emerge. Humpbacks have a distinctive 3 m (10 ft) bushy blow.
Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head. A 50' mother would have a 20' newborn weighing in at 2 tons! They are nursed by their mothers for approximately six months, then are sustained through a mixture of nursing and independent feeding for possibly six months more. Some calves have been observed alone after arrival in Alaskan waters. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of five with full alt size being achieved a little later. According to new research, males reach sexual maturity at approximately 7 years of age. Fully grown the males average 15–16 m (49–52 ft), the females being slightly larger at 16–17 m (52–56 ft), with a weight of 40,000 kg (or 44 tons); the largest recorded specimen was 19 m (62 ft) long and had pectoral fins measuring 6 m (20 ft) each.[9] The largest Humpback on record, according to whaling records, was killed in the Caribbean. She was 88 feet long, weighing nearly 90 tons!
Females have a hemispherical lobe about 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter in their genital region. This allows males and females to be distinguished if the underside of the whale can be seen, even though the male's penis usually remains unseen in the genital slit. Male whales have distinctive scars on heads and bodies, some resulting from battles over females.
Females typically breed every two or three years. The gestation period is 11.5 months, yet some indivials can breed in two consecutive years. Humpback Whales were thought to live 50 - 60 years, but new studies using the changes in amino acids behind eye lenses proved another baleen whale, the Bowhead, to be 211 years old. This was an animal taken by the Inuit off Alaska. More studies on ages are currently being done.
The varying patterns on the Humpback's tail flukes are sufficient to identify an indivial. Unique visual identification is not possible in most cetacean species (exceptions include Orcas and Right Whales), so the Humpback has become one of the most-studied species. A study using data from 1973 to 1998 on whales in the North Atlantic gave researchers detailed information on gestation times, growth rates, and calving periods, as well as allowing more accurate population predictions by simulating the mark-release-recapture technique. A photographic catalogue of all known whales in the North Atlantic was developed over this period and is currently maintained by Wheelock College.[10] Similar photographic identification projects have subsequently begun in the North Pacific by SPLASH (Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks), and around the world.
Social structure and courtship：
Humpbacks frequently breach, throwing two thirds or more of their body out of the water and splashing down on their back.
Humpbacks frequently breach, throwing two thirds or more of their body out of the water and splashing down on their back.
The Humpback social structure is loose-knit. Usually, indivials live alone or in small transient groups that assemble and break up over the course of a few hours. Groups may stay together a little longer in summer in order to forage and feed cooperatively. Longer-term relationships between pairs or small groups, lasting months or even years, have been observed, but are rare. Recent studies extrapolate feeding bonds observed with many females in Alaskan waters over the last 10 years. It is possible some females may have these bonds for a lifetime. More studies need to be done on this. The range of the Humpback overlaps considerably with many other whale and dolphin species — whilst it may be seen near other species (for instance, the Minke Whale), it rarely interacts socially with them. Humpback calves have been observed in Hawaiian waters playing with bottlenose dolphin calves.
Courtship rituals take place ring the winter months, when the whales migrate towards the equator from their summer feeding grounds closer to the poles. Competition for a mate is usually fierce, and female whales as well as mother-calf dyads are frequently trailed by unrelated male whales bbed escorts by researcher Louis Herman. Groups of two to twenty males typically gather around a single female and exhibit a variety of behaviours in order to establish dominance in what is known as a competitive pod. The displays may last several hours, the group size may ebb and flow as unsuccessful males retreat and others arrive to try their luck. Techniques used include breaching, spy-hopping, lob-tailing, tail-slapping, flipper-slapping, charging and parrying. "Super pods" have been observed numbering more than 40 males, all vying for the same female. (M. Ferrari et. al)
Whale song is assumed to have an important role in mate selection; however, scientists remain unsure whether the song is used between males in order to establish identity and dominance, between a male and a female as a mating call, or a mixture of the two. All these vocal and physical techniques have also been observed while not in the presence of potential mates. This indicates that they are probably important as a more general communication tool. Recent studies showed singing males attract other males. Scientists are extrapolating possibilities the singing may be a way to keep the migrating populations connected. (Ferrari, Nicklin, Darling, et. al.) Studies on this are ongoing.
Feeding：
A group of 15 whales bubble net fishing near Juneau, Alaska
A group of 15 whales bubble net fishing near Juneau, Alaska
The species feeds only in summer and lives off fat reserves ring winter. Humpback Whales will only feed rarely and opportunistically while in their wintering waters. It is an energetic feeder, taking krill and small schooling fish, such as herring (Clupea harengus), salmon, capelin (Mallotus villosus) and sand lance (Ammodytes americanus) as well as Mackerel (Scomber scombrus), pollock (Pollachius virens) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in the North Atlantic.[11][12][13] Krill and Copepods have been recorded from Australian and Antarctic waters.[14] It hunts fish by direct attack or by stunning them by hitting the water with its flippers or flukes.
A pair of Humpback Whales feeding by lunging.
A pair of Humpback Whales feeding by lunging.
The Humpback has the most diverse repertoire of feeding methods of all baleen whales.[15] Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net fishing: a group of whales blows bubbles while swimming in circles to create a ring of bubbles. The ring encircles the fish, which are confined in an ever-tighter area as the whales swim in a smaller and smaller circles. The whales then suddenly swim upwards through the bubble net, mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. This technique can involve a ring of bubbles up to 30 m (100 ft) in diameter and the cooperation of a dozen animals. Some of the whales take the task of blowing the bubbles through their blowholes, some dive deeper to drive fish towards the surface, and others herd fish into the net by vocalizing. It is one of the more spectacular acts of collaboration among marine mammals.[16]
Humpback Whales are preyed upon by Orcas. The result of these attacks is generally nothing more serious than some scarring of the skin, but it is likely that young calves are sometimes killed.[17]
Song：
Both male and female Humpback Whales can proce sounds, however only the males proce the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous. Each song consists of several sounds in a low register that vary in amplitude and frequency, and typically lasts from 10 to 20 minutes.[18] Songs may be repeated continuously for several hours; Humpback Whales have been observed to sing continuously for more than 24 hours at a time. As cetaceans have no vocal cords, whales generate their song by forcing air through their massive nasal cavities.
Whales within an area sing the same song, for example all of the Humpback Whales of the North Atlantic sing the same song, and those of the North Pacific sing a different song. Each population's song changes slowly over a period of years —never returning to the same sequence of notes.[18]
Scientists are still unsure of the purpose of whale song. Only male Humpbacks sing, so it was initially assumed that the purpose of the songs was to attract females. However, many of the whales observed to approach singing whales have been other males, with the meeting resulting in a conflict. Thus, one interpretation is that the whale songs serve as a threat to other males.[19] Some scientists have hypothesized that the song may serve an echolocative function.[20] During the feeding season, Humpback Whales make altogether different vocalizations, which they use to herd fish into their bubble nets.[21]
Population and distribution：
The Humpback whale is found in all the major oceans, in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 65° N latitude, though is not found in the eastern Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea or the Arctic Ocean. There are at least over 70,000 humpback whales worldwide, with 10,000-25,000 in the North Pacific, nearly 12,000 in the North Atlantic, and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere, down from a pre-whaling population of 125,000[citation needed].
The Humpback is a migratory species, spending its summers in cooler, high-latitude waters, but mating and calving in tropical and sub-tropical waters.[18] An exception to this rule is a population in the Arabian Sea, which remains in these tropical waters year-round.[18] Annual migrations of up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 statute miles) are typical, making it one of the farthest-travelling of any mammalian species.
A 2007 study identified seven indivial whales wintering off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica as those which had made a trip from the Antarctic of around 8,300 km. Identified by their unique tail patterns, these animals have made the longest documented migration by a mammal.[22]
In Australia, two main migratory populations have been identified, off the west and east coast respectively. These two populations are distinct with only a few females in each generation crossing between the two groups.[23]
Whaling：
One of the first attempts to hunt the humpback whale was made by John Smith in 1614 off the coast of Maine. Opportunistic killing of the species is likely to have occurred long before, and it continued with increasing pace in the following centuries. By the 18th century, the commercial value of Humpback Whales had been recognized[citation needed], and they became a common target for whalers for many years.
By the 19th century, many nations (and the United States in particular), were hunting the animal heavily in the Atlantic Ocean — and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. However, it was the introction of the explosive harpoon in the late 19th century that allowed whalers to accelerate their take. This, coupled with the opening-up of the Antarctic seas in 1904, led to a sharp decline in all whale populations.
It is estimated that ring the 20th century at least 200,000 Humpbacks were taken, recing the global population by over 90%, with the population in the North Atlantic estimated to have dropped to as low as 700 indivials.[24] To prevent species extinction, a general moratorium on the hunting of Humpbacks was introced in 1966 and is still in force today. In his book Humpback Whales (1996), Phil Clapham, a scientist at the Smithsonian Institute, said "This wanton destruction of some of the earth's most magnificent creatures [is] one of the greatest of our many environmental crimes."
By the time the International Whaling Commission (IWC) members agreed on a moratorium on Humpback hunting in 1966, the whales were so scarce that commercial hunting was no longer worthwhile. At this time, 250,000 were recorded killed. However, the true toll is likely to be significantly higher. It is now known that the Soviet Union was deliberately under-recording its kills; the total Soviet Humpback kill was reported at 2,820 whereas the true number is now believed to be over 48,000.[25]
As of 2004, hunting of Humpback Whales is restricted to a few animals each year off the Caribbean island Bequia in the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[15] The take is not believed to threaten the local population.
Conservation:
Internationally this species is considered vulnerable. Most monitored stocks of Humpback Whales have rebounded well since the end of the commercial whaling era,[1] such as the North Atlantic where stocks are now believed to be approaching pre-hunting levels.[29] However, the species is considered endangered in some countries where local populations have recovered slowly, including the United States.[30]
Today, indivials are vulnerable to collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, and noise pollution.[1] Like other cetaceans, Humpbacks are sensitive to noise and can even be injured by it. In the 19th century, two Humpback Whales were found dead near sites of repeated oceanic sub-bottom blasting, with traumatic injuries and fractures in the ears.[31]
The ingestion of saxitoxin, a PSP (paralytic shellfish poison) from contaminated mackerel has been implicated in Humpback Whale deaths.[32]
Some countries are creating action plans to protect the Humpback; for example, in the United Kingdom, the Humpback Whale has been designated as a priority species under the national Biodiversity Action Plan, generating a set of actions to conserve the species. The sanctuary provided by National Parks such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, among others, have also become a major factor in sustaining the populations of the species in those areas.[33]
Although much was known about the Humpback Whale e to information obtained through whaling, the migratory patterns and social interactions of the species were not well known until two separate studies by R. Chittleborough and W. H. Dawbin in the 1960s.[34] Roger Payne and Scott McVay made further studies of the species in 1971.[35] Their analysis of whale song led to worldwide media interest in the species, and left an impression in the public mind that whales were a highly intelligent cetacean species, a contributing factor to the anti-whaling stance of many countries.
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Found in oceans and seas around the world, Humpback Whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, Humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. The species' diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the spectacular bubble net fishing technique.
Like other large whales, the Humpback was and is a target for the whaling instry. Due to over-hunting its population fell by an estimated 90% before a whaling moratorium was introced in 1966. Stocks of the species have since partially recovered, however entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution also remain concerns. There are at least 70,000 humpback whales worldwide. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, Humpbacks are now sought out by whale-watchers, particularly off parts of Australia and the United States. On November 18, 2007 a Japanese fleet set off for the first time in decades to hunt the humpback in the South Pacific
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http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Humpbackwhale.shtml
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Cetacea
SUBORDER: Mysticeti
FAMILY: Balaenopteridae
GENUS: Megaptera
SPECIES: novaeangliae
The humpback whale is one of the rorquals, a family that also includes the blue whale, fin whale, Bryde's whale, sei whale, and minke whale. Rorquals have two characteristics in common: dorsal fins on their backs, and ventral pleats running from the tip of the lower jaw back to the belly area. The shape and color pattern on the humpback whale's dorsal fin and flukes (tail) are as indivial in each animal as are fingerprints in humans. The discovery of this interesting fact changed the course of cetacean research forever, and the new form of research known as "photo-identification," in which indivials are identified, catalogued, and monitored, has led to valuable information about such things as humpback whale population sizes, migration, sexual maturity, and behavior patterns.
humpback whale skeleton
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The head of a humpback whale is broad and rounded when viewed from above, but slim in profile. The body is not as streamlined as other rorquals, but is quite round, narrowing to a slender pencle (tail stock). The top of the head and lower jaw have rounded, bump-like knobs, each containing at least one stiff hair. The purpose of these hairs is not known, though they may allow the whale to detect movement in nearby waters. There are between 20-50 ventral grooves which extend slightly beyond the navel.
COLOR: The body is black on the dorsal (upper) side, and mottled black and white on the ventral (under) side. This color pattern extends to the flukes. When the humpback whale "sounds" (goes into a long or deep dive) it usually throws its flukes upward, exposing the black and white patterned underside. This pattern is distinctive to each whale. The flippers range from all white to all black dorsally, but are usually white ventrally.
surface characteristics
FINS AND FLUKE: About 2/3 of the way back on the body is an irregularly shaped dorsal (top) fin. Its flippers are very long, between 1/4 and 1/3 the length of its body, and have large knobs on the leading edge. The flukes (tail), which can be 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, is serrated and pointed at the tips.
LENGTH AND WEIGHT Alt males measure 40-48 feet (12.2-14.6 m), alt females measure 45-50 feet (13.7-15.2 m). They weigh 25 to 40 tons (22,680-36,287 kg).
Length and Weight: Humpback whales feed on krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans, and various kinds of small fish. Each whale eats up to 1 and 1/2 tons (1,361 kg) of food a day. As a baleen whale, it has a series of 270-400 fringed overlapping plates hanging from each side of the upper jaw, where teeth might otherwise be located. These plates consist of a fingernail-like material called keratin that frays out into fine hairs on the ends inside the mouth near the tongue. The plates are black and measure about 30 inches (76 cm) in length. During feeding, large volumes of water and food can be taken into the mouth because the pleated grooves in the throat expand. As the mouth closes water is expelled through the baleen plates, which trap the food on the inside near the tongue to be swallowed.
Feeding: Humpback whales feed on krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans, and various kinds of small fish. Each whale eats up to 1 and 1/2 tons (1,361 kg) of food a day. As a baleen whale, it has a series of 270-400 fringed overlapping plates hanging from each side of the upper jaw, where teeth might otherwise be located. These plates consist of a fingernail-like material called keratin that frays out into fine hairs on the ends inside the mouth near the tongue. The plates are black and measure about 30 inches (76 cm) in length. During feeding, large volumes of water and food can be taken into the mouth because the pleated grooves in the throat expand. As the mouth closes water is expelled through the baleen plates, which trap the food on the inside near the tongue to be swallowed.
Mating and Breeding: Humpback whales reach sexual maturity at 6-10 years of age or when males reach the length of 35 feet (11.6 m) and females reach 40 feet (12 m). Each female typically bears a calf every 2-3 years and the gestation period is 12 months. A humpback whale calf is between 10-15 feet (3-4.5 m) long at birth, and weighs up to 1 ton (907 kg). It nurses frequently on the mother's rich milk, which has a 45% to 60% fat content. The calf is weaned to solid food when it is about a year old.
range map
Distribution and Migration: Found in all the world's oceans, most populations of humpback whales follow a regular migration route, summering in temperate and polar waters for feeding, and wintering in tropical waters for mating and calving. In the Arabian Sea, a year-round non-migratory population of humpbacks appears not to follow this general rule.
Natural History: At least 3 different species of barnacles are commonly found on both the flippers and the body of the humpback whale. It is also home for a species of whale lice, Cyamus boopis
Humpback whales are active, acrobatic whales. They can throw themselves completely out of the water (breaching), and swim on their backs with both flippers in the air. They also engage in "tail lobbing" (raising their huge flukes out of the water and then slapping it on the surface) and "flipper slapping" (using their flippers to slap the water). It is possible that these behaviors are important in communication between humpbacks.
Perhaps the most interesting behavior of humpback whales is their "singing." Scientists have discovered that humpback whales sing long, complex "songs". Whales in the North American Atlantic population sing the same song, and all the whales in the North American Pacific population sing the same song. However, the songs of each of these populations and of those in other areas of the world are uniquely different. A typical song lasts from 10-20 minutes, is repeated continuously for hours at a time, and changes graally from year to year. Singing whales are males, and the songs may be a part of mating behavior.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The humpback whale is a baleen whale and a rorqual whale that sings amazing songs. It performs complex and cooperative feeding techniques. The humpback has a bulky head with bumpy protuberances (tubercles), each with a bristle. Humpbacks are acrobats of the ocean, breaching and slapping the water. They live in pods and have 2 blowholes. The name humpback describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a dive.
SIZE
Humpback whales grow to be about 52 feet (16 m) long, weighing 30-50 tons (27-45 tonnes). The females are slightly larger than males, as with all baleen whales. The four-chambered heart of the average humpback whale weighs about 430 pounds (195 kg) - about as much as three average alt human beings.
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详细参见：
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Humpbackwhale.shtml
参考资料：http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Humpbackwhale.shtml
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