CAROTENOID COLORED MINKE WHALE FROM
THE ANTARCTICHIDEHIRO KATO
T17hales Research Institute, Tokyo

On 16 February 1979, an unusual minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) which
had a strange body color was captured by the Japanese whaling fleet in Area IV of
the Antarctic. According to information from the catcher boat, this whale was
TABLE 1. BODY MEASUREMENTS AND OTHER DATAOF CAROTENOID COLORED MINKE WHALE
Serial no.
Date of catch
Position of catch
Post-mortem timeSex
Age (yrs.) (number of layers in ear plug)
Thickness of blubber (cm)Body proportion (cm)
Total length, tip of shout to notch of flukes
Tip of snout to center of blowhole
Tip of snout to center of eye
Tip of snout to ear
Length of ventral grooves (max.)
Umbilicus to end of of ventral grooves
Notch of tail flukes to center of anus
Notch of tail flukes to tip of dorsal fin
Half of the girth, at umbilicus
Half of the girth, at anus
Dorsal fin, vertical height
Flipper, tip to anterior insertion
Flipper, tip to axilla
Flipper, greatest width
Tail flukes, tip to tip
Tail flukes, notch to the nearest part of the anterior margin of the tail flukes
Half number of ventral grooves, at anterior insertion of each flipper (no.)
Skull (cm)Length, codyles to tip of premaxilla, straight
Breadth, frontal
Reproductive organs
Testis weight (right, left; g)Penis length (cm)
Stomach contents
Food item
Relative quantity
Relative freshness

Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst.,
No. 31, 1979, 97-99

2241
16/Feb./1979
64°40'S, 104°08'E
1 hr 50 mins
Male

9++
5.5
740
115

142
183

402
28
205
204

225
135
39
108
83
29

211
55
29
176
96
570,530
74
Euphausiids
30%
Moderately fresh98

KATO

swimming with one other whale in a school and the crew could easily recoginize
pinkish color on the lateral side of this whale at sea.
The whale taken was a male 7.4 m in total length (serial no. 2241) and it had
almost normal viscera, though the kidny fat of this whale was yellow in color. Body
proportions and other data from this whale are indicated in Table 1.
In general, the external coloration of minke whales in the Antarctic is graydorsally and white ventrally (Williamson, 1961; van Utrecht and van der Spoel,
1962; Kasuya and lchihara, 1965; Ohsumi et al., 1970). However in this case, theventral surface and other areas normally white in color were pink (Pl. I, Figs 1 and2), while the blubber, connective tissue and baleen plates (except the black bandportion) were flushed with a carotenoid color (Pl. I, Fig. 3). Furthermore thewhole skeleton of this whale retained a carotenoid color during Bensing, but when
dried up, it was difficult to distinguish the color from skeletons of other whale. Awhale with such a coloration as this had not seen previously by the crew of the factory ship, even though many of them had much whaling experience.
Though the cause of this unusual coloration was not apparent, judging fromthe external and internal features it was not caused by congestion or albinism. The
post-mortem time (1 hr 50 mins) might influence the coloration of this whale, but
it was not apparant too. In order to clarify the cause, pigmentary analysis is necessary as a first step. Specimens of skin, blubber and baleen plates were collected
and these were preserved frozen as well as in 10% formalin solution. Detailed results of the pigmentary analysis of these specimens will be reported later.
I wish to express deepest appreciation to Dr P. B. Best, Marine Mammal Laboratory, Sea Fisheries Branch, South Africa for his kind advice and supplying ofphotograph (Pl. I, Fig. l ).
REFERENCES
KAsuvA, T. and T. lcHIHRA, 1965. Some informations of minke whales from the Antarctic. Sci. Rep. T1lhales
Res. Inst., 19: 37-43.
0HSUMI, S., Y. MASAKI and A. KAWAMURA, 1970. Stock of the Antarctic minke whale. Sci. Rep. Whales Res.
Inst., 22: 75-125.
van UTRECHT, W. L. and S. van der SPOEL, 1962. Observations on a minke whale (Mammalia, Cetacea)
from the Antarctic. :(eitschrift fur Siiugetierkunde, 2 7 (4): 217-221.
WILLIAMSON, G. R., 1961. Two kinds of minke whale in the Antarctic. Norsk Hvalfangst-Tid., 50 (4): 113-0141.

Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst.,
No. 31, 1979CALOTENOID COLORED WHALE

EXPLANATION OF PLATE
PLATE I
Fig. 1. A comparison of body colors between unusual and normal whales (Photograph by Dr P.B. Best).
Fig. 2. Lateral view of rostrum and baleen of the unusual ~hale showing pinkishcolor and dark pigmented areas.
Fig. 3. Baleen plates and gum layer of the same whale showing carotenoid color.

Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst.,
No. 31, 197999