7- a. Head broad and almost U-shaped seen dorsaily; dorsal fin less than 

 55cm and far back on tail stock; baleen black with io-;o black 

 bristles per centimetre; 270-595 plates per side; plates extremely 

 broad relative to length; maximum body length 26 m; head 

 coloration symmetrical. 



* Blue Whale, Balaenopura musculus (A) 



b. Head broad at gape but v-shaped and sharply pointed on tip; 

 dorsal fin to 61 cm tall and slightly more than one-third forward 

 from fluke notch; right front one-fifth to one-third of baleen 

 ivory white to yellowish white, remainder dark gray to bluish 

 gray, streaked with yellowish white; plates narrow relative to 

 length with 10-J5 gray or white bristles per centimeter; 262-475 

 plates per side; maximum body length to 24 m; head coloration 

 asymmetrical, with at least right lower lip white and left gray. 



* Fin Whale, Balaenopura physalus (A) 



8. a. Top of snout lacking callosities; 525-560 baleen plates per side, 



longest reaching 4.5 m; plates black with black bristles (anterior 

 portion of some plates may be whitishj; maximum body length 1 8 

 meters. 



* Bowhead Whale. Balaena mynicitus (P) 



b. Top of snout bearing callosities, which are usually covered with 

 white or yellowish "lice"; 250-590 baleen plates per side, longest 

 reaching 2.7 m; plates dark or yellowish gray (some anterior 

 plates all or part white and some posterior plates brown or black), 

 with 55-70 bristles per centimeter; maximum length 17 m. 



* Right Whale. Eubalama ^lacialu (B 



9. a. Upper part of head extending well past tip ot lower ]aw; lower )aw 



markedly undershot and considerably narrower than upper jaw 

 Go to 10 



b. Upper part of head not extending appreciably past tip ot lower 

 jaw; lower jaw approximately same width as upper jaw 

 Go to 12 



10. a. Body 4.0-16.8 m; head massive, to one-third ot body length and 



with blunt, square snout; blowhole located far forward of eyes 

 and to left front of head; dorsal fin low, triangular or rounded, 

 and followed by series of knuckles or crcnulations; 18-25 teeth m 

 each lower |aw fitting into sockets in upper |avv ! 10-16 upper 

 teeth rarely emerge J. 



* Sperm Whale, Physclcr maircccphalus (A) 



b. Body less than 4.0 m; head considerably less than one-third or 

 body length; blowhole located approximately even with eyes on 

 top of head, slightly displaced to lett ot midline; conspicuous 

 dorsal fin present; 8-16 teeth in each lower |aw fitting into sockets 

 in upper jaw Go to 11 



1 1. a. Throat creases absent; dorsal fin small and located in latter third 



of back; 12-16 (rarely 10-11) extremely sharp teeth in each lower 

 jaw. 



* Pygmy Sperm Whale. Kogia hrevuips [ B 



b. Inconspicuous throat creases [i] present; dorsal fin tall and 

 falcate, located near middle of back; 8-11 (rarely 15) extremely 

 sharp teeth in each lower jaw; rarely 1-5 teeth in each upper jaw. 



* Dwarf Sperm Whale, K^gia simus (B) 



12. a. Two conspicuous grooves present on throat, forming V-shape 



pointed forward; notch between flukes absent or inconspicuous; 

 teeth lacking or limited to no more than 2 mandibular pairs. 

 (Beaked whale) Go to 15 



56 



