EXTERNAL CHARACTERS OF BLUE WHALES 



Male Blue Whales: South Georgia 



Measurements expressed as percentages of total length. 



279 



Foetus 



Whale 



Metre 

 lengths 



1-2 



2-3 

 3-4 

 4-S 

 16-17 

 17-18 

 18-19 

 19-20 

 20-21 

 21-22 

 22-23 

 23-24 

 24-25 

 25-26 

 26-27 



6. Tip of snout to tip 

 of flipper 



No. of 

 measure- 

 ments 



12 



17 

 20 

 16 

 20 

 20 

 37 

 55 

 27 



Range 



40-00-46-77 

 41 •30-48-84 

 44-I6-47-I3 



40-00- 

 38-56- 

 38-92- 

 39-16- 

 40-84- 

 39-42- 

 3974- 

 38-02- 

 40-48- 

 43-86- 



42-25 

 44-56 

 43-49 

 43-87 

 45-03 

 46-30 

 ■49-15 

 47-85 

 ■46-32 

 44-59 



Mean 



43-46 

 44-33 

 45-45 

 43-16 

 38-87 

 40-90 

 41-58 

 41-32 

 41-71 

 42-63 

 42-81 

 44-06 

 44-36 

 43-69 

 44-22 



7. Eye to ear, centres 



No. of 

 measure- 

 ments 



13 

 16 



17 

 14 

 17 

 20 



35 



52 



27 



3 



Range 



6-40-7-14 

 6-44-8-09 

 6-40-6-94 



4-91-6-63 

 4-53-6-22 

 501-6-00 

 4-29-5-63 



4-79-5-77 

 4-67-6-07 

 4-94-6-91 

 4-04-6-25 

 4-88-6-10 

 5-22-5-77 



Mean 



6-91 



6-95 

 6-65 



6-53 



5-43 

 5-40 

 5-28 

 5-28 

 5-22 

 5-34 

 5-50 

 5-57 

 5-55 

 5-38 

 5-49 



8. Notch of flukes to posterior 

 emargination of dorsal fin 



No. of 

 measure- 

 ments 



1 1 



15 

 n 



7 

 14 

 19 

 31 

 39 

 20 



Range 



25-20-29-19 

 25 00-29-77 

 25-86-27-76 



24-44-28-35 

 22-22-27-03 

 23-67-27-39 

 24-78—26-96 

 23-51-28-89 

 22-60-26-73 

 22-08-26-29 

 21-23-26-45 

 21-93-26-00 

 22-69-25-33 



Mean 



27-30 

 27-26 

 26-76 

 26-74 



26-04 

 25-17 

 25-25 

 26-01 

 25-18 



24-39 

 23-89 

 23-87 



23-73 

 24-01 



9. Flukes, width 

 at insertion 



No. of 

 measure- 

 ments 



13 

 17 

 21 

 16 

 22 

 23 

 38 

 59 

 32 

 3 



Range 



6-30-8-55 

 6-67-8-37 

 5-67-8-27 



4-86-5-97 

 4-57-6-19 

 4-71-5-74 

 4-68-5-88 

 4-64-6-07 

 4-67-5-88 

 4-76-5-86 

 4-32-6-02 

 3-92-5-88 

 4-69-5-09 



Mean 



7-25 

 7-39 

 6-75 

 7-16 



5-22 



5-37 

 5-30 

 5-21 

 5-28 

 5-32 

 5-i8 

 5-27 

 5-11 

 5-05 

 4-86 



