%0 Journal Article
%T Developmental Changes in the Morphology of Western North Pacific Bryde¡¯s Whales (<i>Balaenoptera edeni</i>)
%A Takeharu Bando
%A Gen Nakamura
%A Yoshihiro Fujise
%A Hidehiro Kato
%J Open Journal of Animal Sciences
%P 344-355
%@ 2161-7627
%D 2017
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojas.2017.73026
%X Developmental changes</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">in</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">the
body proportions</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">of
western North Pacific Bryde¡¯s whales (</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Balaenoptera
edeni</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">) were</span></span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">investigated
by examining the proportion of each body part to the total body length. The
head and chest region increased to a certain body length;</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">subsequently, the length
of head region stabilized,</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">and
that of the chest region decreased. The length of the abdominal region remained</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">constant to a certain body
length and subsequently</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">showed
a marked increase, and</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">that of
the tail region decreased consistently. The length of dorsal fin and flukes
decreased consistently,</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">whereas
that of</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">the
flippers</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">remained</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">constant to a certain body
length and subsequently</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">decreased.
The relative growth pattern determined by an allometric</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">analysis was positive for the head region but
negative for the lower body part, flippers, flukes, and dorsal fin. Both sexes</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">demonstrated</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">the same growth pattern,
but the coefficients differed. This is the first study to investigate
developmental changes
%K Bryde¡¯s Whale
%K Body Proportion
%K Allometric Growth
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=77846