The beluga or white whale, Delphinapterus leucas, is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. This marine mammal is commonly referred to simply as the melonhead, beluga or sea canary due to its high-pitched twitter.
It is adapted to life in the Arctic, so has a number of anatomical and physiological
characteristics that differentiate it from other cetaceans. Amongst
these are its unmistakable all-white colour and the absence of a dorsal
fin. It possesses a distinctive protuberance at the front of its head
which houses an echolocation organ called the melon, which in this species is large and plastic
(deformable). The beluga’s body size is between that of a dolphin’s and
a true whale’s, with males growing up to 5.5 m (18 ft) long and
weighing up to 1,600 kg (3,500 lb). This whale has a stocky body; it has
the greatest percentage of blubber. Its sense of hearing is highly
developed and it possesses echolocation, which allows it to move about and find blowholes under sheet ice.
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