beluga

beluga

beluga or white whale, small, toothed northern whale , Delphinapterus leucas. The beluga may reach a length of 19 ft (5.8 m) and a weight of 4,400 lb (2,000 kg). It has a small, round head, with a short, broad, beaklike snout, and a flexible neck; its flippers are short, broad, and rounded, and it lacks a dorsal fin. It produces a variety of noises and is sometimes called a sea canary. The young are born with dark fur but become almost pure white in maturity. Belugas winter in the Arctic Ocean, feeding upon crustaceans, fish, and squid; they are often found in groups of several hundred individuals. They mate in spring, and in summer they enter northern rivers. The young are born after a gestation period of 14 months, one calf every second year. The beluga is hunted by the Eskimo for food and by commercial whalers for its hide, which is known as porpoise hide. Beluga is also the common name of the largest of the sturgeons . Beluga whales are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Cetacea, family Monodontidae.

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"beluga." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"beluga." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-beluga.html

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beluga

be·lu·ga / bəˈloōgə/ • n. (pl. same or belugas ) 1. a small, white-toothed whale (Delphinapterus leucas, family Monodontidae) related to the narwhal, living in herds mainly in Arctic coastal waters. Also called white whale. 2. a very large sturgeon (Huso huso) occurring in the inland seas and associated rivers of central Eurasia. ∎  (also beluga caviar) caviar obtained from this fish.

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"beluga." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"beluga." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-beluga.html

"beluga." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-beluga.html

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beluga

beluga (white whale) Small, toothed Arctic whale that is milky white when mature. It preys on fish, squid, and crustaceans and is valued by Eskimos for its meat, hide and blubber. Length: c.4m (13ft). Species: Delphinapterus leucas. Beluga is also a type of sturgeon, whose roe is sold as caviar.

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"beluga." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"beluga." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-beluga.html

"beluga." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-beluga.html

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beluga

beluga great sturgeon; white whale. XVIII (in XVI bellougina). — Russ. belúga (in the latter sense also belúkha), f. bélȳľ white.

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T. F. HOAD. "beluga." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "beluga." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-beluga.html

T. F. HOAD. "beluga." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-beluga.html

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beluga

beluga Russian name for the white sturgeon (Acipenser huro), whose roe forms the most prized caviar.

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DAVID A. BENDER. "beluga." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "beluga." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-beluga.html

DAVID A. BENDER. "beluga." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-beluga.html

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beluga

beluga
1. Huso huso See ACIPENSERIDAE.

2. (white whale, Delphinapterus leucas) See MONODONTIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "beluga." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "beluga." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-beluga.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "beluga." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-beluga.html

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beluga

belugadogger, flogger, Hoggar, hogger, jogger, logger, slogger, Wagga Wagga •brolga, Olga, Volgaconga, conger, donga, Rarotonga •pettifogger • footslogger •cataloguer (US cataloger) •auger, augur •ogre, Saratoga, toga, yoga •beluga, cougar, Kaluga, Kruger, Luger •sugar, Zeebrugge •bugger, hugger, lugger, mugger, plugger, rugger, slugger, Srinagar, tugger •mulga, vulgar •hunger, sangha, Younger •scandalmonger • scaremonger •fishmonger •warmonger, whoremonger •ironmonger • hugger-mugger •costermonger • Málaga •Berger, burger, burgher •hamburger • beefburger •cheeseburger • Limburger •Vegeburger • Erzgebirge •Luxembourger

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"beluga." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"beluga." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-beluga.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, habitat associations in Cook Inlet, Alaska.
Magazine article from: Marine Fisheries Review; 6/22/2000
Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, distribution and survey effort in the Gulf of...
Magazine article from: Marine Fisheries Review; 6/22/2000
Cancer in belugas from the St. Lawrence Estuary. (Correspondence).
Magazine article from: Environmental Health Perspectives; 10/1/2002

Facts and information from other sites

beluga images
beluga. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)