Table of Contents
Do whales reproduce sexually or asexually?
Most marine and estuarine animals reproduce sexually — including oysters, sharks and whales. To make things even more confusing, some animals like moon jellies reproduce sexually during one stage of life and asexually during another.
How many times does a blue whale mate?
Breeding Patterns As large mammals with a gestation period of a year or more and another 5–6 months spent nursing newborn calves, whales generally breed once every 2 years.
What are blue whales habits?
Behavior and Diet They generally spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake lengthy migrations towards the equatorial waters as winter arrives. Blue whales typically swim at about 5 miles an hour while they are feeding and traveling, but can accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour for short bursts.
Are whale sperm bigger than human sperm?
Amazing, whales have some of the smallest sperm of all mammals. They vary from 50-75 microns, whereas human sperm are 40-90 microns long. It is thought that whales have such small sperm because the female reproductive tract is so large that having longer sperm doesn’t give a male any extra advantage.
Are female blue whales bigger than males?
Females are bigger than males. The lengthiest blue whales are 110 feet, but they are more commonly between 70 and 80 feet. Adult blue whales weigh up to 150 tons, which makes them the largest animals to ever live. By comparison, elephants—the largest terrestrial animals—weigh only 4.5 tons.
Do whales have periods?
Whales do not menstruate, nor do most mammals. Only primates and, oddly, elephant shrews menstruate. (Dogs may seem to menstruate, but it is actually a different process.)
How does the blue whale mate?
Blue whales reproduce via sexual meiosis. The male and female each produce haploid gametes. Male gametes are sperm, and the female gametes are eggs. They fertilize internally, meaning sperm is deposited inside the female.
How do humpbacks mate?
In a mating ritual, male humpback whales leap, splash and fight. In a competitive pod, a female is accompanied by males vying to mate with her. The contests can be violent—the suitors often attack each other underwater—and the pod grows or shrinks as the melee attracts newcomers and drives others away.
When does a blue whale reach sexual maturity?
Blue whales reach sexual maturity between the age of 5 and 10. They are dioecious and undergo sexual reproduction. Normally, they migrate near the equator to reproduce. Blue whales undergo a very elaborate mating ritual.
What do blue whales do for a living?
Blue whales are known to produce vocalizations, which likely have “some kind of reproductive function,” said Catherine Berchok, a cetacean researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
How does a blue whale produce an egg?
Blue whales reproduce via sexual meiosis. The male and female each produce haploid gametes. Male gametes are sperm, and the female gametes are eggs. A single sperm and egg fertilize to form a diploid zygote. They fertilize internally, meaning sperm is deposited inside the female. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
How big does a blue whale fetus get?
Since blue whales are placental mammals, the fetus develops inside of the mother in the uterus. The blue whale fetus grows quickly at 1 inch per day after 3 months of gestation, and by the seventh month it stretches to 12 feet in length.