PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Balaenoptera physalus (fin whale)

Mammalia - Cetacea - Balaenopteridae

Taxonomy

Balaena physalus was named by Linnaeus (1758) [No type specimen designated. No type locality (Hershkovitz, 1966).]. It is extant.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera physalus by Gray (1846), Racovitza (1903), Trouessart (1904), Thomas (1911), Oliver (1922), Dal Piaz (1929), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Hershkovitz (1966), Barnes (1977), Vidal (1991), Rice (1998), Mead and Brownell (2005), Bouetel and Muizon (2006), Uhen et al. (2008), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Marx (2011), Geisler et al. (2011), Tsai et al. (2014), Marx and Fordyce (2015).

Subspecies

Balaena sulcata arctica

Synonyms

Physalus duguidii was named by Gray (1864). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaenoptera brasiliensis was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was recombined as Physalus brasiliensis by Gray (1850), Gray (1866), Gray (1871); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physalus fasciatus was named by Gray (1850). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Swinhoia chinensis was named by Gray (1868). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaena antiquorum was named by Fischer (1829). It is extant.

It was recombined as Physalus antiquorum by Gray (1847), Gray (1850), Gray (1864), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaenoptera patachonica was named by Burmeister (1865). It is extant.

It was recombined as Physalus patachonicus by Gray (1865), Burmeister (1866), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005), Lloyd and Slater (2020).
Balaenoptera velifera was named by Scammon and Cope (1869). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaenoptera physalus quoyi was named by Fisher (1829). It is extant.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera quoyi by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaenoptera velifera copei was named by Elliot (1901). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaena (Balaenoptera) tschudii was named by Reichenbach (1846). It is extant.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera patachonicha tschudii by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaena sulcata was named by Neill (1811). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaena sulcata arctica was named by Schlegel (1841). It is extant.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera arctica by Trouessart (1904); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaenoptera blythi was named by Anderson (1879). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Sibbaldius tectirostris was named by Scammon and Cope (1869). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Sibbaldius tuberosus was named by Scammon and Cope (1869). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Benedenia knoxii was named by Gray (1864). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaena boops was named by Linnaeus (1758). It is extant.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera boops by Gray (1846); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera musculus by Van Beneden and Gervais (1880); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Gray (1846), Thomas (1911), Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaenoptera gibbar was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaenoptera rorqual was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaenoptera antiquorum was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera physalus by Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1758	Balaena physalus Linnaeus p. 75
1758	Balaena boops Linnaeus p. 76
1804	Balaenoptera gibbar Lacépède p. 114
1804	Balaenoptera rorqual Lacépède p. 126
1811	Balaena sulcata Neill
1829	Balaena antiquorum Fischer p. 525
1829	Balaenoptera physalus quoyi Fisher
1829	Balaena antiquorum Fisher p. 525
1832	Balaenoptera rorqual Dewhurst p. 214
1841	Balaena sulcata arctica Schlegel
1846	Balaenoptera antiquorum Gray p. 50
1846	Balaenoptera boops Gray p. 50
1846	Balaenoptera brasiliensis Gray p. 51
1846	Balaenoptera physalus Gray p. 83
1846	Balaena (Balaenoptera) tschudii Reichenbach
1847	Physalus antiquorum Gray p. 96
1847	Balaena physalus Nilsson p. 636
1850	Physalus antiquorum Gray p. 38
1850	Physalus fasciatus Gray p. 42
1850	Physalus brasiliensis Gray p. 43
1864	Physalus duguidii Gray p. 187
1864	Benedenia knoxii Gray p. 212
1864	Physalus antiquorum Gray p. 216
1864	Physalus duguidii Gray p. 221
1865	Balaenoptera patachonica Burmeister p. 190
1865	Physalus patachonicus Gray p. 190
1866	Physalus patachonicus Burmeister p. 495
1866	Physalus antiquorum Gray p. 114
1866	Benedenia knoxii Gray p. 138
1866	Physalus duguidii Gray p. 158
1866	Physalus brasiliensis Gray p. 162
1866	Physalus fasciatus Gray p. 162
1866	Physalus patachonicus Gray p. 374
1868	Benedenia knoxii Gray p. 2
1868	Physalus antiquorum Gray p. 2
1868	Physalus duguidii Gray p. 2
1868	Physalus patachonicus Gray p. 2
1868	Swinhoia chinensis Gray p. 3
1869	Balaenoptera velifera Scammon and Cope p. 16
1869	Sibbaldius tectirostris Scammon and Cope p. 17
1869	Sibbaldius tuberosus Scammon and Cope p. 17
1871	Benedenia knoxii Gray p. 52
1871	Physalus antiquorum Gray p. 53
1871	Physalus brasiliensis Gray p. 53
1871	Physalus duguidii Gray p. 53
1871	Physalus patachonicus Gray p. 53
1871	Balaenoptera velifera Gray p. 56
1871	Sibbaldius tectirostris Gray p. 56
1871	Sibbaldius tuberosus Gray p. 56
1871	Swinhoia chinensis Gray p. 57
1873	Physalus antiquorum Scott p. 120
1873	Physalus patachonicus Scott p. 122
1879	Balaenoptera blythi Anderson
1888	Balaenoptera patachonica Moreno p. 22
1889	Balaenoptera patachonica Ameghino p. 889
1901	Balaenoptera velifera copei Elliot
1903	Balaenoptera physalus Racovitza p. 55
1904	Balaenoptera velifera Trouessart p. 783
1904	Balaenoptera velifera copei Trouessart p. 783
1904	Balaenoptera arctica Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera blythi Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera patachonicha Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera patachonicha tschudii Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera physalus Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera quoyi Trouessart p. 784
1911	Balaenoptera physalus Thomas p. 156
1922	Balaenoptera physalus Oliver p. 561
1929	Balaenoptera physalus Dal Piaz p. 87
1952	Balaenoptera physalis Sherman p. 99
1963	Balaenoptera physalus Scheffer and Rice p. 9
1966	Balaenoptera physalus Hershkovitz p. 163
1977	Balaenoptera physalus Barnes p. 323 figs. Table 1
1991	Balaenoptera physalus Vidal p. 6
1998	Balaenoptera physalus Rice p. 76
2005	Balaenoptera physalus Mead and Brownell p. 725
2006	Balaenoptera physalus Bouetel and Muizon p. 386
2008	Balaenoptera physalus Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 981 figs. Fig. 5
2008	Balaenoptera physalus Uhen et al. p. 619
2011	Balaenoptera physalus Geisler et al. p. 6 figs. Table 1
2011	Balaenoptera physalus Marx p. 83 figs. Figure 2
2014	Balaenoptera physalus Tsai et al. p. 86
2015	Balaenoptera physalus Marx and Fordyce p. 4 figs. Figure 2

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes
class	Mammalia

Rank	Name	Author
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Euungulata
—	Artiodactylamorpha
—	Artiodactyla	()
—	Whippomorpha
order	Cetacea
—	Pelagiceti
—	Neoceti
suborder	Mysticeti
—	Chaeomysticeti	()
—	Balaenomorpha
superfamily	Thalassotherii
family	Balaenopteridae
genus	Balaenoptera
species	physalus	()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus 1758 [fin whale]

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Invalid names: Balaena antiquorum Fischer 1829 [synonym], Balaena sulcata Neill 1811 [synonym], Balaena sulcata arctica Schlegel 1841 [invalid subgroup], Balaenoptera antiquorum Gray 1846 [synonym], Balaenoptera blythi Anderson 1879 [synonym], Balaenoptera boops Linnaeus 1758 [synonym], Balaenoptera copei Elliot 1901 [synonym], Balaenoptera gibbar Lacépède 1804 [synonym], Balaenoptera patachonica Burmeister 1865 [objective synonym], Balaenoptera patachonicha tschudii Reichenbach 1846 [synonym], Balaenoptera quoyi Fisher 1829 [synonym], Balaenoptera rorqual Lacépède 1804 [synonym], Balaenoptera velifera Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Benedenia knoxii Gray 1864 [synonym], Physalus brasiliensis Gray 1846 [synonym], Physalus duguidii Gray 1864 [synonym], Physalus fasciatus Gray 1850 [synonym], Physalus patachonicus Burmeister 1865 [synonym], Sibbaldius tectirostris Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Sibbaldius tuberosus Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Swinhoia chinensis Gray 1868 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

part	N	mean

Composition:

hydroxyapatitesubo

Form:

roller-shapedo

Ontogeny:

modification of partso

Environment:

marinesubo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

aquaticsubo

Depth habitat:

surfaceo

Diet:

suspension feederf

Reproduction:

viviparouso

Created:

2005-06-08 10:11:09

Modified:

2005-06-08 12:11:09

Source: f = family, subo = suborder, o = order

References: Uhen 2004, Nowak 1991

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Calabrian to the top of the Holocene or 1.80000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 0.774 Ma

Collections (28 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.0117	China	Balaenoptera physalus (73754)
Calabrian	1.8 - 0.774	USA (California)	Balaenoptera physalus (186603)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Canada (Quebec)	Balaenoptera acutorostrata (51019)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom	Balaenoptera physalus (122112)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Spain	Balaenoptera physalus (167964 196915)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom (Scottland)	Balaenoptera physalus (238885)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	South Africa	Balaenoptera physalus (79916)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Brazil (Sao Paulo)	Balaenoptera physalus (162117)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Morocco	Balaenoptera musculoides (97258)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom (England)	Balaenoptera physalus (238903)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Greenland	Balaenoptera physalus (238694)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Greece	Balaenoptera physalus (196895 196900)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Denmark	Balaena physalus (159708) Balaenoptera physalus (159718 159725)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Italy (Sicily)	Balaenoptera physalus (175523)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Antarctica	Balaenoptera physalus (90111)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	China	Balaenoptera physalus (124382)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (California)	Balaenoptera physalus (162154)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Japan (Osaka)	Balaenoptera physalus (208988)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom (Scotland)	Balaena physalus (238882) Balaenoptera physalus (238966)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Norway	Balaenoptera physalus (237903)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Mexico (Baja California)	Balaenoptera physalus (201786)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Japan	Balaenoptera physalus (82088 235097)