bowhead whale

Also known as Balaena mysticetus, Greenland right whale, Arctic whale

species of mammal

AI overview

A bowhead whale is a large marine mammal found in Arctic waters, named for its distinctive bow-shaped head that it uses to break through ice. These whales are significant because they are long-lived animals that have adapted to survive in some of Earth's harshest environments.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

Arctic right whale

Species

PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCetartiodactyla
FamilyBalaenidae

Habitatmarine

Observations211

Maximum longevity: 211 years (wild) Observations: These animals exhibit slow growth and high survival. Growth may be faster in females than in males, and it slows down markedly at around 40-50 years of age. Sexual maturity is probably reached at age 20-25. Using an indirect method for age estimation based on aspartic acid racemization, the bowhead whale has been recorded as the longest-lived mammal thanks to one male estimated to be 211 years-old. The same study found three other male specimens estimated to be over 100 years of age. Very few obvious signs of pathology were found in old bowheads. The 211 year-old specimen was reported to appear old with though meat and blubber. One of the centenarian males exhibited a spondylitic lesion on the vertebra. Reproductive senescence has not been reported, though detailed studies are lacking (George et al. 1999).

via IUCN

Research

252 papers

Evidence for improved DNA repair in the long-lived bowhead whale.Nature · 2025Firsanov D, Zacher M, Tian X et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09694-5
DNA repair and anti-cancer mechanisms in the long-lived bowhead whale.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Firsanov D, Zacher M, Tian X et al.DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.07.539748
Distinct longevity mechanisms across and within species and their association with aging.Cell · 2023Tyshkovskiy A, Ma S, Shindyapina AV et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.002
Bowhead and beluga whale acoustic detections in the western Beaufort Sea 2008-2018.PloS one · 2021Stafford KM, Citta JJ, Okkonen SR et al.DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253929
Bowhead whale localization using time-difference-of-arrival data from asynchronous recorders.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2017Warner GA, Dosso SE, Hannay DEDOI: 10.1121/1.4978438
Whale tear glands in the bowhead and the beluga whales: Source and function.Journal of morphology · 2020Rehorek SJ, Stimmelmayr R, George JC et al.DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21099
Author Correction: Evidence for improved DNA repair in the long-lived bowhead whale.Nature · 2025Firsanov D, Zacher M, Tian X et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09952-6
Sea ice directs changes in bowhead whale phenology through the Bering Strait.Movement ecology · 2023Szesciorka AR, Stafford KMDOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00374-5

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Gemeinnüzzige Naturgeschichte des Thierreichs (Plate 50) (6008528637).jpg

Show 8 more facts

taxon name: Balaena mysticetus
Commons category: Balaena mysticetus
Commons gallery: Balaena mysticetus
taxon common name: grenlandski kit
gestation period: 11
longest observed lifespan: 211
start time: 200000-00-
short name: B. mysticetus

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~31 min read

Article

The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), sometimes known as the Greenland right whale, Arctic whale, and polar whale, is a species of baleen whale belonging to the family Balaenidae and is the only living representative of the genus Balaena. It is the only baleen whale endemic to the Arctic and subarctic waters, and is named after its characteristic massive triangular skull, which it uses to break through Arctic ice.

Bowheads have the largest mouth of any animal, representing almost one-third of the length of the body. They also have the longest baleen plates among whales, with a maximum length of 2.97 to 5.2 metres (9.7 to 17.1 ft). They may be the longest-lived of all mammals, with the ability to reach an age of more than 200 years.