Bowhead Whale
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Bowhead Whale
Mammal
An Arctic whale thought to be the longest-lived mammal — some individuals are estimated to be over 200 years old — insulated by blubber up to about half a metre thick.
Name Story
Balaena mysticetus
means “The moustache whale”
a traditional storyThe 'moustache whale' reading is the traditional one; the old Greek word is tangled and debated, so this meaning isn't certain.
What does its name mean?
- Balaena — whaleLatin
- mysticetus — moustache-whale (traditionally)Greek mystax 'moustache' + ketos 'whale'
Inside its huge mouth the bowhead grows the longest baleen of any whale — great fringed plates up to four metres long that hang down like an enormous moustache.