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humpback whale

Also known as Megaptera novaeangliae

species of mammal

OverviewAI-generated

The humpback whale (*Megaptera novaeangliae*) is a marine mammal belonging to the family Balaenopteridae within the order Cetartiodactyla. Described by Borowski in 1781, this species is classified as a taxon under the genus *Megaptera*. It is a toothless cetacean that feeds primarily on Euphausiacea, Atlantic mackerel, and zooplankton. The species has a gestation period of 12 months, a litter size of one, and a lactation period of 11 months.

Adult humpback whales reach a length of 16 and a mass of 45, with a life expectancy of 47.5 years. Maximum longevity in the wild is recorded at 95 years. The taxon range includes Brazil and Quatipuru. The species is listed in Appendix I of CITES and holds a Least Concern conservation status on the IUCN Red List as of 2018.

Synthesized by Vinony from 43 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, iNaturalist, WoRMS, IUCN Red List, Encyclopedia of Life, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

bunch whale

Species

PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCetartiodactyla
FamilyBalaenopteridae

Habitatmarine

Observations36,463

Maximum longevity: 95 years (wild)

via IUCN

Research

612 papers

Surface Behaviours of Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae at Nosy Be (Madagascar).Biology · 2024Fabietti Y, Spadaro C, Tigani A et al.DOI: 10.3390/biology13120996
Humpback whale song recordings suggest common feeding ground occupation by multiple populations.Scientific reports · 2021Schall E, Thomisch K, Boebel O et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98295-z
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) sonar: Ten predictions.Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983) · 2020Mercado EDOI: 10.1037/com0000199
Bioenergetic Shifts in Humpback Whale Fibroblasts Upon Chemical Exposure.Environmental science & technology · 2024Hosen MHA, Whitworth DJ, Leusch FDL et al.DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10595
Novel Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale) haplotype chromosome-level reference genome.Scientific data · 2024Carminati MV, Gashi VL, Li R et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03922-9
Humpback whale genomes reflect the increased efficiency of commercial whaling.Science advances · 2025Furni F, Bérubé M, Suárez-Menéndez M et al.DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady7091
All units are equal in humpback whale songs, but some are more equal than others.Animal cognition · 2022Mercado E 3rd, Perazio CEDOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01539-8
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breathing sound characteristics from simultaneous above and underwater measurements.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2025Radermacher MK, Schinault ME, Seri SG et al.DOI: 10.1121/10.0036353

via PubMed

~33 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera. Adults range in length from 14–17 m (46–56 ft) and weigh up to 40 metric tons (44 short tons). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song that typically lasts from 4 to 33 minutes.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate between feeding areas towards the poles and breeding areas near the equator. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish, and they usually use bubbles to catch prey. They are polygynandrous breeders, with both sexes having multiple partners. Males will follow females and fight off rivals. Mothers give birth to calves in shallower water. Orcas are the main natural predators of humpback whales. The bodies of humpbacks host barnacles and whale lice.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “humpback whale” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.