Eubalaena

Eubalaena is a genus of baleen whales in the family Balaenidae that includes three living species: the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), and the Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis). Members of the genus are among the largest whales and are collectively known as right whales because they were historically targeted by whalers for their floating carcasses and high blubber yield. They are characterized by very large heads, a stocky body, broad backs without a prominent dorsal fin, and rough patches of callosities on the head and mouth area. They possess long baleen plates used to filter small prey from seawater.

Geographic distribution varies by species. North Atlantic and North Pacific populations inhabit temperate and subpolar waters of their respective oceans and undertake seasonal migrations between high-latitude feeding areas and lower-latitude breeding grounds. Southern right whales frequent subantarctic and temperate coastal waters, with some populations showing strong regional site fidelity and slow recovery since whaling.

Their diet consists mainly of zooplankton such as copepods and krill, captured by filter feeding on the surface or in mid-water using their baleen. Reproduction is slow, with gestation around a year and interbirth intervals of two to four years; calves are dependent on mothers for several months.

Conservation status is variable by species. North Atlantic and North Pacific right whales are among the world’s most endangered cetaceans, facing ongoing threats from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Southern right whales have shown substantial regional recovery in many areas, though local populations remain vulnerable to human disturbance and environmental change. Eubalaena remains an important focus of cetacean conservation and maritime governance.