Omura's whale
balaenoptera omurai latin

This type of asymmetry is seen in Omura's whale and occasionally in minke whales.

Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai) is a species of rorqual about which very little is known.

The whale species Balaenoptera omurai (Omura's whale) was first identified here.

Omura's whale, Balaenoptera omurai, discovery announced November 2003.

Omura's whale is among the smallest of the rorquals (only the two species of Minke whale are smaller).

Omura's whale - MSW3 lists this is a synonym of Bryde's whale but suggests this may be temporary.

In 2003, Japanese scientists announced the discovery of a new species of rorqual whale, named Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai), after extensive studies of Bryde's Whale (B. brydei).

Later abundant genetic evidence confirmed Omura's whale as a valid species and revealed it to be an early offshoot from the rorqual lineage, diverging much earlier than the Bryde's and sei whales.

The Omura's whale is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Three genetically distinct, candidate species/subspecies/morphologies, Bryde's whale B. brydei, Bryde's/Eden's whale B. edeni, and Omura's whale B. omurai, differentiate by geographic distribution, inshore/offshore preferences, and size.

In addition, the Omura's whale is covered by the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Cetaceans MOU).

The discovery of a new species of balaenopterid, Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai), was announced in November 2003, which looks similar to, but smaller than, the Fin whale; individuals of this species were found in Indo-Pacific waters.

Since 2000, several new species of cetartiodactyl have been described, including three aquatic species (Australian snubfin dolphin, Perrin's beaked whale, and Omura's whale) and three terrestrial ungulates (Roosevelt's muntjac, giant forest peccary and the yellow-striped chevrotain).

Omura's whale appears to be restricted to the shelf and nearshore areas of tropical and subtropical waters, with records mostly from the eastern Indian Ocean (off Cocos Islands), Indonesia, the Philippines, the Sea of Japan, and the Solomon Sea.