mysticetus

Mysticetus is a historical taxonomic term that has appeared in scientific literature as a genus name for large baleen whales. In many older classifications, Mysticetus was used to group the bowhead whale and related forms. In contemporary taxonomy, the bowhead whale is placed in the genus Balaena (Balaena mysticetus), while other modern right whales belong to the genus Eubalaena. As a result, Mysticetus is generally regarded as an obsolete or deprecated genus name and is not used in current taxonomic databases.

Historically, Mysticetus has been associated with the baleen whales in the family Balaenidae, but modern classifications have stabilized around Balaena mysticetus for the bowhead and Eubalaena species for the right whales. The use of Mysticetus today is largely confined to older literature and does not reflect current consensus.

The bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, is a large Arctic species. It lacks a dorsal fin and has a massive, blocky head and a very thick blubber layer adapted to cold polar waters. It uses baleen plates to filter feed on zooplankton and small crustaceans. Bowheads are among the longest-lived mammals, with lifespans exceeding a century in some individuals. They exhibit extensive seasonal migrations and are adapted to ice-covered environments, often feeding around the edge of sea ice.

Distribution and status: Bowheads inhabit Arctic and subarctic waters around Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Russia, with seasonal movements between feeding grounds in cold waters and calmer, ice-associated areas. Historically heavily hunted, they recovered under international protection, and the species is generally listed as of least concern overall, though certain populations remain vulnerable due to regional threats such as climate change, shipping, and entanglement risks. For current taxonomy, see Balaena mysticetus.